Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute to mark National Go Red for Women Day

Hundreds of health care professionals at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute will wear red on Friday, Feb. 3, to mark National Go Red for Women Day. The group will meet at 9 a.m. for a group photo to demonstrate support for increased research on heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the U.S. For the first time the annual gathering this year will include blood pressure checks and heart disease risk assessments.

WHAT:
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute healthcare professionals will meet for a group photo at 9 a.m. on Feb 3 to mark National Go Red for Women Day. Dressing in red demonstrates support for heightened awareness of heart disease risk factors as well as increased public education on gender differences in heart disease. After the photo session, attendees will undergo heart disease risk assessments, including blood pressure screenings. Following a heart-healthy lunch, Michele Hamilton, MD, director of the Heart Failure Program at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, will present an update on new research, diagnostic methods and treatments.

WHEN:
Friday, Feb. 3, 2011, 9 a.m.

WHERE:
Cedars-Sinai, Harvey Morse Auditorium, 7600 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90048. Click here for a map.

PARKING:
Free media parking in Lot 2 on George Burns Road, just south of Beverly Boulevard.

WHO:
Michele Hamilton, MD, Chrisandra Shufelt, MD, and Puja Mehta, MD, will be available for interviews. The Women's Heart Center of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute provides risk assessment, diagnosis and heart disease care at a hospital ranked among the top in the nation for Heart and Heart Surgery by U.S. News and World Report. The center is designed to help women reduce their chances of heart disease through a preventive approach, including state-of-the-art testing.

WOMEN AND HEART DISEASE STATISTICS
Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death for U.S. women.
Two out of three American women have at least one risk factor for heart disease.
One out of two American women will develop heart and vascular disease.
Twelve times as many women die of heart disease every year as die from breast cancer.
455,000 American women die of heart disease every year, compared to 410,000 men.
One-quarter to one-half of women with heart disease experience different symptoms than men typically do. For example, many women experience extreme fatigue and nausea, while men report a tingling feeling in their left arm.