Opinion: On Wear Red Day, celebrate women’s heart health by investing in your own

Khaleghi is the American Heart Association Go Red for Women chair and senior vice president and chief executive officer at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital and Sharp McDonald Center. She lives in Carmel Valley.

My children are grown now, but I keep artwork from their elementary school days to remind myself how precious life is. At just 7 days old, my son Blake had open-heart surgery to correct a cardiovascular defect that he was born with. We were told that he might not survive. This was a very scary and traumatic time in my life. Those are words no parent ever wants to hear.

His tiny, fragile body had to undergo many procedures and round-the-clock monitoring. Blake spent several weeks on a heart-lung bypass machine until he was stable enough for us to take him home. He went from weekly check-ups, exams and procedures to monthly and now yearly.

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My son is now a healthy 21-year-old college student. Looking back, I am grateful for the clinicians who cared for him. I am also thankful for the work that went into providing the resources used to treat my son. Much of this “behind-the-scenes” work is in the form of biomedical research, implementation of public health policies and availability of lifesaving tools funded by the American Heart Association. I sincerely believe that the work they do saved my son’s life.

As a mother looking back at my child’s health challenges, I am reminded of the importance of my own cardiovascular health. When I became CEO of Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns nearly a decade ago, it was one of my goals to amplify what the American Heart Association does, and how we collaborate, with an emphasis on women’s heart health and maternal heart health.

And now as the 2022 chair of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women movement, I am continuing to help empower women to prioritize their health, especially their cardiovascular health.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. Like many maternity hospitals across the nation, Sharp Mary Birch has seen an increase in pregnancy complications due to heart conditions, such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. Cardiovascular complications occur in 10 to 20 percent of all pregnancies in the United States, and these rates are rising.

And women who develop cardiovascular conditions during pregnancy have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke later in life, especially Latinas and Black women. Compared to White women, Black women have a 240 percent higher rate of being hospitalized for heart failure, while Latinas have a 55 percent higher rate.

It’s essential for women across all ethnicities and stages of life to keep their hearts healthy. After all, if the organ that pumps vital oxygen and nutrients throughout our body gives out, then what are we left with? Our health deteriorates to a point where we’re unable to fulfill our dreams, care for loved ones and live our best lives. I want all women to live their best life. And that begins with a healthy heart.

The first step is to know your numbers — blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index. High blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity are major risk factors for heart disease. If any of these values are abnormal, your doctor can help you develop a plan to control these numbers.

This involves consuming fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and poultry and fish (if you eat meat), as well as minimizing salty and sugary foods. The American Heart Association also recommends that adult women get at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, and two days of muscle-strengthening activities. Getting enough sleep — at least seven to eight hours — and reducing stress levels are also essential.

If you’re a woman reading this, and you don’t already practice a heart-healthy lifestyle, you might be wondering, “How am I going to have time to exercise, eat well, let alone get enough sleep, on top of everything else on my ‘to do’ list?” I get it, I’m overwhelmed too. But I’m also keenly aware of the cost of not taking these steps. My son’s life was nearly cut short due to a heart problem just days after being born. Now that he is healthy, I want to ensure that I am too, so that I can live life to the fullest with those who are closest to my heart.

Sharp HealthCare is a proud local sponsor of Go Red for Women. Show your support for women’s heart health by wearing red on Wear Red Day, Friday, Feb. 4.