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Media Contact: Sandra VanE-mail: [email protected]
EMBARGOED UNTIL JAN. 31, 2002
HIGHLIGHTS:In an effort to help women learn more about the symptoms and treatment of heart disease and heart attacks - which claim the lives of more American women than men each year, and which pose a greater threat to American women than all forms of cancer combined - Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has teamed with the Voluntary Hospital Association (VHA) and hospitals nationwide in a program known as the "Women's HeartAdvantage Campaign." Cedars-Sinai is the campaign's exclusive hospital participant in California. C. Noel Bairey-Merz, M.D., a board-certified cardiologist and Medical Director of the Women's Health Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, has been named national spokesperson for this campaign.
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER SELECTED TO BE CALIFORNIA'S EXCLUSIVE HOSPITAL PARTICIPANT IN VHA'S NATIONWIDE "WOMEN'S HEARTADVANTAGE" CAMPAIGN; C. NOEL BAIREY MERZ, M.D., NAMED NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON
LOS ANGELES (EMBARGOED UNTIL JAN. 31, 2001) -- In an effort to help women learn more about the symptoms and treatment of heart disease and heart attacks - which claim the lives of more American women than men each year, and which pose a greater threat to American women than all forms of cancer combined - Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has teamed with the Voluntary Hospital Association (VHA) and hospitals nationwide in a program known as the "Women's HeartAdvantage Campaign." Cedars-Sinai is the campaign's exclusive hospital participant in California.
C. Noel Bairey-Merz, M.D., a board-certified cardiologist and Medical Director of the Women's Health Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, has been named national spokesperson for this campaign. She also currently serves as Chair of the American College of Cardiology's Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases Committee, and is well known for research she has conducted in such areas as women and heart disease, mental stress and heart disease, the role of exercise and stress management in reversing disease, and the role of nutrition in heart disease.
According to Dr. Bairey Merz, many women are not clear about their risk or the symptoms of a heart attack. "Most women can identify some of the warning signs of a heart attack," she says. "For example, 67 percent of women note that chest pain is a sign of a heart attack, and 33 percent cite shortness of breath. However, only 10 percent of women mentioned nausea, which is a common symptom in women having a heart attack."
In her capacity as national spokesperson for the Women's HeartAdvantage campaign, Dr. Bairey Merz will focus on specific program goals, which include: 1) Helping women recognize the early symptoms of heart disease and heart attacks; 2) Increasing knowledge of how and when to seek appropriate care; 3) Decreasing the time from the onset of symptoms to the initiation of appropriate medical care; and 4) Improving the outcomes of women who have had a heart attack.
One of the keys to achieving these goals, says Dr. Bairey Merz, is to help women understand that when it comes to a heart attack, timing is everything and knowing how to recognize symptoms may save your life. The so-called "golden hour" - the first hour after the onset of symptoms - is critically important for those who have had a heart attack. "If you delay by two hours getting appropriate medical care after a heart attack, you have a 40 to 60 percent greater chance of dying," she says.
But quick medical action is only one part of the solution. "It's important that you know and understand your risk factors and that you talk with your doctor about heart disease," says Dr. Bairey Merz. Statistics show that most women do not discuss heart disease with their doctor, but that's a very important first step in taking charge of your heart health. She suggests the following "action steps" for women.
1. Ask your doctor or gynecologist to conduct a thorough assessment of your heart disease risk factors: cholesterol, especially LDL, HDL and triglycerides, glucose levels, blood pressure, smoking history, weight, stress and exercise. If you have risk factors, formulate a plan with your doctor to reduce or eliminate them.
2. If you have one or more risk factors, ask if your doctor or gynecologist if you should have an electrocardiogram (ECG) or exercise stress test.
3. Ask your doctor or gynecologist to review risk factors for heart disease and heart attack symptoms during your annual check-up. Discuss these with your family and friends, along with the importance of calling 9-1-1 if these symptoms occur.
4. Tell your doctor or gynecologist about any personal or family history of heart disease.
5. Check out nearby cardiac rehabilitation centers and community programs to help you stop smoking, get regular exercise, lose weight and reduce stress. As part of its nationally ranked cardiology program, Cedars-Sinai has an excellent cardiac rehabilitation facility. We also offer classes in weight management. For information, please call 1-800-CEDARS-1 (1-800-233-2771).
6. Make sure you understand any medications or special instructions your doctor has given you, including when you need to have follow-up tests.
"Overall," says Dr. Bairey Merz, "the key is in being aware of your risk factors, heart attack symptoms and the appropriate course of action. By knowing ahead of time, you can take preventive measures, and if you do experience a heart attack, you'll be able to quickly identify the symptoms and seek immediate help."
For more information on the Women's HeartAdvantage Campaign, please call 1-800-CEDARS-1 (1-800-233-2771). If you experience what you think might be a heart attack, call 9-1-1. Don't delay.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is one of the largest non-profit academic medical centers in the Western United States. For the fifth straight two-year period, Cedars-Sinai has been named Southern California's gold standard in health care in an independent survey. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnostic and treatment capabilities and its broad spectrum of programs and services, as well as breakthrough biomedical research and superlative medical education. Named among the 100 "Most Wired" hospitals in health care in 2001, the Medical Center ranks among the top seven non-university hospitals in the nation for its research activities.
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