Heart disease has been the No. 1 killer in Louisiana for decades. In 2013, heart disease led to 10,346 deaths, according to data from the American Heart Association.
Heart disease is prominent in both men and women, but since 1984, more women have died from heart disease annually than men, according to The Heart Foundation. In 2002, the AHA established National Wear Red Day to raise awareness for women’s heart disease.
Linzy Cotaya, senior communications director for the AHA in Louisiana, said heart disease causes one in three women’s deaths annually, and 80 percent of women have at least one risk factor for heart disease. To raise awareness, the AHA is encouraging communities and businesses to wear red Feb. 3 to start a conversation and act as spokespeople for the cause.
On campus, the Delta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi, sorority whose international philanthropy focuses on women’s heart health, will be tabling in Free Speech Plaza that day to raise awareness among students, Chapter President Elise Curole said.
Chapter members will serve Shirley Temples and offer photo booth opportunities to interact with students and raise awareness for the cause, she said. It’s important to catch heart disease early and take action as young adults, Curole said.
LSU AgCenter nutritionist and dietitian Sandra May said University students can get ahead of the disease by establishing positive behaviors to lay a healthy foundation for later life.
“You carry the same habits throughout a lifetime,” May said.
There a number of factors associated with heart disease, including hereditary risk, but eating well and getting adequate amounts of exercise can reduce the risk for heart disease and other chronic ailments, she said. Students should incorporate low-fat dairy foods, a diverse assortment of proteins and whole grains into their diets, while avoiding added sugars, trans fats and saturated fats, May said.
Shifts in lifestyle factors over the last half century have caused Americans to become more sedentary, spending long hours working in offices or sitting, she said. Exercise is an important component of a healthy lifestyle, and students and staff should make an effort to take breaks, take a walk and move around when spending long hours working or studying, May said.
Louisiana residents, in particular, are at a higher risk of heart disease because of rising obesity levels, which can contribute to cardiovascular diseases. Students should begin to watch their weight and shed extra pounds healthfully in college so that obesity doesn’t become a larger health issue in the future, May said.
Cotaya said it’s also important for women to pursue preventative care and visit their primary care physicians to know their key health numbers, including cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Many women pursue health care, especially from specialists such as gynecologists, but aren’t preparing themselves for their No.1 risk, she said.
The best way men and women can spread awareness is by discussing the risks with their friends, mothers and sisters, Cotaya said. Preventing heart disease requires discussion every day, not just during women’s heart month, and women shouldn’t wait until they begin having chest pains to educate themselves, she said.
“Eighty percent of heart disease can be prevented, so why not prevent your number one killer?” said Cotaya.