Latinas and Heart Disease
This past week I was invited to attend the William Paterson’s Red Dress Dinner to celebrate the end of Women’s History Month and honoring the 3 essay contest winners, as well as the Women of Vision Awardees. It was a successful night - $2,000 were donated to the American Heart Association’s #GoRedforWomen campaign.
Dr. Elliot Brown, MD, FACC, cardiologist and keynote speaker, addressed gender specific symptoms that we, as a woman need to be aware of. All of the symptoms resemble another cause which is why heart disease is considered a #1 silent killer in women.
Dr. Brown identified a number of reasons as to why this risk is higher in women but the one reason that stood out is that we tend to take the role of a woman to be a caregiver. For most this is a behavior that has been socialized into our identity. It is a beautiful role because we put the needs of others first and think of ourselves last. This has to be a fact because I believe Moms are superheros. But we need to realize that our superheros need to be taken care of as well.
Here are some general stats:
An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease.
Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.
The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and are often misunderstood.