WE’RE CELEBRATING NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY – FEBRUARY 1, 2019
Feb. 1–7, 2019
IT’S A RED ALERT!
Learn how to recognize and prevent heart disease in women
SCHNEPS MEDIA
New Yorkers will “Wear Red
and Give” today to spread the
message that cardiovascular
disease is the number one
killer of women in the United
States.
The American Heart Association
is uniting with
communities across the city
to “Go Red and Give” on this
special day to raise awareness
about heart disease and
stroke, which cause one in
three deaths among women
each year. Association statistics
also show that despite
an abundance of public
awareness campaigns,
90 percent of women have
one or more risk factors for
heart disease or stroke.
It’s especially important
for women to recognize possible
signs of heart disease
because it can present itself
differently than it does in
men, according to a doctor
at Coney Island Hospital.
“Women are a special
population that have to be
watched closely. Just because
you don’t have chest
pain doesn’t mean something
isn’t wrong,” said Dr.
Nicholas Brodyn, chief of
cardiology at the
medical center.
“Take my own
mother. I was away
with my family and
called home, and my father
told me my mother had
gone to bed at 8 pm, when she
usually went to bed at midnight.
She was presenting
with fatigue, tiredness, and
she ended up having severe
multi-coronary disease.”
Symptoms can show differently,
but typically include
chest pain, exhaustion,
weakness,
vomiting, and indigestion.
And a critical concern
with women’s
health problems is
that they can go untreated
longer, because
women may
downplay their
discomfort, according
to Brodyn.
“Women typically don’t
complain medically, and
they might downplay their
indigestion or fatigue,” he
said, adding that it’s important
women exercise caution
when they do have symptoms.
“If you used to walk
five blocks to the
grocery store to get
your newspaper,
and now you are
driving to the store
because you are exhausted,
there’s probably a
reason. Be suspicious.”
The most important
thing a woman can do to
manage her heart health is
see her doctor for an annual
checkup, and if something
doesn’t seem right, be proactive
and get it checked out,
according to Brodyn.
“If you’re not feeling yourself,
you’re exhausted for no
reason, it’s not a bad idea
to get checked out by
a cardiologist,” he
said.
If women suspect
something might be wrong,
but are nervous about seeing
a doctor, they should
speak to other women with
similar medical histories,
as hearing someone else’s
story can help, according to
the doctor.
“I’ve been practicing for
30 years, and I’m amazed
patients don’t believe doctors.
Many, many of my patients
who required bypass
surgery, or defibrillators
— they believe the civilian
more than the doctor. It’s
easier to believe someone
who went through it than a
professional,” Brodyn said.
It is possible to live a long
and healthy life, the doctor
said, as long as women
stay vigilant and remember
that their symptoms can be
unique.
“We’re seeing more
women living to 100 and
older, while living past 90
is still unusual for men.
Women have the benefit as
far as longevity, as long as
they are conscious they may
present differently than
men,” he said.
Join thousands of New
Yorkers and participate in
National Wear Red Day on
Feb. 1 by donating to the Go
Red For Women campaign
and taking steps to better understand
your heart health.
Spread the word and encourage
others to give by sharing
#WearRedandGive on social
media.
INSIDE: A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT, PLUS YOUR LOCAL NEWS
A CNG Publication Vol. 74 No. 5
Including Canarsie Digest
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