Mercy! Feb. is Heart Month

2/4/08

Last week's Women's Heart Symposium with Mercy Hospital was not only interesting and educational, but so much fun, too!

Dr. Monica Monasa, the cardiologist from The Heart Center at Mercy, made all those medical terms easy to understand. In fact, if you weren't able to get to the symposium, she'll be our guest on South Florida Spotlite this Sunday night at 11:30.

A lot of our heart health breaks down to a numbers game:
Where's your blood pressure? What are your cholesterol levels? Is your weight appropriate fro your height? And how much time do you spend telling the doctor if something's wrong?

I would never have thought of that, but Dr. Monasa pointed out that, even now, women are still not taken as seriously by many doctors as men are. So when we get into the doctor's office, we need to get right to the point about what's bothering us - and be specific. Dr. Monasa estimates that a woman has about 3 minutes to get to "the heart of the matter", pun intended.

So take 5 minutes while you're waiting and write down your concerns. If the doctor asks about the family and the kids, wait until after you've discussed your health to give the personal update.


1/31/08

Have you picked out your red outfit for tomorrow? Okay, so if you're not feeling that bold, you can at least wear the Red Dress Pin from the American Heart Association, or even red lipstick or a red tie. Anything to celebrate National Wear Red Day, the kickoff of Heart Month, and a day to raise awareness about heart disease in women.

Kids are doing their part by taking part in Jump Rope For Heart to benefit the Heart Association.
And they're setting a great example for us - what a great heart-healthy activity (although for those of us who found the bouncing a bit hard on the knees and other body parts - walking is excellent, too!).


1/29/08

It's very possible that you've never worried about your heart (except when it's broken). But thanks to the doctors at The Heart Center at Mercy Hospital and the experts at The American Heart Association, I've been learning a lot - and it's not something to ignore.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women. Yep. It outranks even breast cancer.

And the scary thing is, it affects even young women, and often there are no outward signs of heart disease.

February is Heart Month and we'll be posting heart health tips throughout the month on our Red Page. But why wait to get the facts? You can join me tomorrow night (Wednesday, January 30th) at Mercy Hospital's Women's Heart Symposium. It's a free event at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. Cardiologist Dr. Monica Manasa will enlighten us about the things we need to do to prevent and deal with heart disease, in "From Our Heart to Yours".

You can call for reservations - 305-286-2929.