Fairmont Medical Center raises heart health awareness with Wear Red Day

“West Virginia, as we know, doesn’t have the best heart health,” Morgan said. “Heart health in West Virginia is lagging behind the country, and women are greatly affected, especially West Virginians. It’s nice to take a day to wear red and just show our support for cardiac health in West Virginia and for women.”

Morgan said the symptoms of heart disease in women are often very different from those in men, and while it’s important for women to know these symptoms, it’s estimated that only a third of women in the country know they even present different symptoms than men.

“It’s not always chest pain for a woman,” Morgan said. “Sometimes it’s neck pain or back pain. As a woman, sometimes we just say ‘it’ll get better,’ and you move on with your day, but really, you need to stop and think about what else it could be. It could be more serious. Was your neck hurting yesterday? Is this sudden onset? Do you also feel short of breath and tired? What are your other symptoms? Don’t disregard your symptoms and think you’ll just get better, because it could be your heart.”

Because of the vagueness of heart disease and heart attack symptoms in women, as well as the increased chance of death after a heart attack, WVU Medicine Heart and Vascular Institute Administrator Jennifer Gerdes said preventive and proactive heart health is crucial for women in West Virginia and the entire country.

“Don’t smoke or use tobacco, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of activity daily, eat a heart-healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight and get good quality sleep,” Gerdes said. “Also, get regular health screenings.”

For the last several years, the Marion County Chamber of Commerce has been heavily involved in Go Red for Women events. Chamber President Tina Shaw said that even though the organization itself is not primarily health-based, it’s still very important to promote what she believes to be a crucial component of wellness to the community.

“We have a very active women’s network, and we’ve been involved with this for several years,” Shaw said. “Heart disease is the No. 1 killer for women, and we felt we needed to bring awareness.”

Shaw explained that the Chamber has a Health, Safety and Wellness Committee, which goes hand-in-hand with the promotion of Going Red for Women.

Wear Red Day is specifically on Friday, Feb. 3, and both the Chamber and the Fairmont Medical Center are a part of events and initiatives to raise awareness of this crucial topic of health.

Gerdes said she hopes women take the initiative to learn more about their health this month and increase their awareness of the many differences in heart disease between men and women, noting that even a little bit of research can be life-saving in the end.

“Every life is valuable, and awareness can save lives,” she said.

Morgan recommended that everyone interested in finding out more about heart health should visit the American Heart Association’s website at www.heart.org to learn more.