The last Thursday of October, the American Heart Association held their 15th annual ‘Go Red for Women’ Event in Syracuse. Hundreds of men and women piled in, dressed in red, to raise awareness for heart disease prevention. Guests were greeted by ‘paparazzi’ upon arrival, a red carpet and a step and repeat. Everyone was all smiles as red drinks were being passed around and people were ushered into a second room where there were information tables, a silent disco, a chef preparing ‘heart healthy foods’ and blood pressures tests.
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, one woman dies of cardiovascular disease every 80 seconds, but 80 percent of cardiovascular disease is preventable. That is why events such as this one are so important. Attendees can get educated on this topic, while having an absolute blast.
“It’s huge. You hear all the time about people who don’t feel well and it’s their friends who push them to see a doctor, so the 700 people in here have plenty of friends and family they can educate,” said Melissa Barry, an Online Strategies Consultant at the event.
64 percent of women who die from coronary disease had no warning signs, according to the American Heart Association. This is partly because there are numerous symptoms of heart disease that are completely unrelated to chest pain. In order to stay safe, people are advised to get their blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose checked regularly by a doctor. In addition to being physically active and eating healthy.
Symptoms that are unrelated to chest pain include:
– Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
– Shortness of breath
– Right arm pain
– Nausea or vomiting
– Sweating
– Lightheadedness, dizziness
– Unusual fatigue
To conclude the ‘Go Red for Women’ event, attendees gathered around numerous round tables and were served lunch. As they ate they listened to guest speakers talk about how heart disease has impacted them, how to prevent it and received messages of overall empowerment. Heart disease may be the number one killer of women in America, but through education and awareness it does not have to be.
The goal of the event was to raise nearly $400,000 to go towards research of the disease. To learn more about the cause and ways to get involved in the Syracuse area, visit the American Heart Association Syracuse website.
