DETROIT — Heart disease, I am sure, has already touched someone you love. The good news is that 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented through education and simple lifestyle changes.
Fox 2 News anchor Deena Centofanti hosted the 15th annual Go Red for Women luncheon at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday.
“The goal here today is to see the effect of heart disease in our family. Heart disease is the number one threat to women,” Centofanti explained.
She remembered a story when her mom was in town and we met at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Mich. We all went to the movies to see “Deadpool.”
“I felt funny, my heart was beating fast and I was nauseous. 911 had been called. They put me in an ambulance and we left for Beaumont. At the hospital, I remember laying up on the bed looking at the ceiling. Well it turned out that I was dehydrated. So don’t ignore symptoms. I was lucky that it was a good outcome. It is ironic that I am speaking here today,” says Centofanti.
Laura Vaughn, executive director of the Detroit branch of the American Heart Association, says we are trying to educate and empower women to take control of their health. One in three women die from heart disease each year. There are so many simple lifestyle changes we can make. Among those:
- Rethink your drink. Eliminate sugary and sweet beverages. One alcoholic drink a day is not going to cause heart disease. Everything in moderation.
- Increasing activity. Taking the stairs, going for a walk, parking your car farther are some examples. It gets your heart pumping.
- Eat five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables, along with healthy grains. Managing your diet in moderation.
- Knowing signs and symptoms if your body feels weird. Men will get jaw pain, feeling of an elephant on your chest and shortness of breath. Women get pain in their arms and back, shortness of breath and feelings of heartburn. However, everyone is different, therefore, it can be similar to a man.
“We are all daughters, mothers, and sisters to support, uplift, and empower women to look out for one another. Heart disease kills more people than all cancers combined,” says Vaughn.
Cass Tech High School student Samiya Muhammed spoke about her experience with heart issues. She went to the hospital due to chronic headaches. At 12 years old, the doctor told her she had coronary heart disease.
“If there is anything you take away from this today, please take this information back to your families,” says Sheryl Smith, Vice President of Marketing at McLaren Macomb.
Mimi Brown and Jason Lamoreaux hosted the live auction portion of the event. Some of the gifts up for bid included a stay on the southern coast of Spain, a Las Vegas getaway trip, a Somerset Collection gift certificate, and a Jimmy Buffett Concert at DTE Energy Music Theatre.
The Go Red for Women luncheon provided lots of useful information. Thousands of dollars was raised to support this great cause.
For more information about the Go Red for Women campaign or to make a donation, visit https://www.goredforwomen.org/
