Wear red to support women's heart health
Arizona Western College is going in the red Thursday, but not financially. The school is encouraging staff and students to wear red to show support for women's heart disease.
The campus is bringing women's heart health awareness to attention because heart symptoms are different in women, which is why it is called the "silent killer," said Mary Parston, AWC health services coordinator.
National Wear Red Day is Friday but since AWC is closed, it will celebrate a day before. A contest will judge the most creative red outfit for those who stop by the health services office between 1 and 3:30 p.m. The winner, selected on MondayFeb. 8, will receive a $50 gift certificate from Harkins Theatres.
In addition, AWC will hold employee heart screenings.
Screening is being done through Feb. 11 at the health services office, but staff must make an appointment to get examined. Also, AWC has invited Yuma Regional Medical Center to distribute heart healthy information in the College Community Center, near the Starbucks cafe.
In men, heart symptoms show up as chest pain, numbness or tingling in the arms, Parston noted. But in women, heart symptoms are much more nonspecific, so they must know the "ABCs" of heart disease, she said.
"Some women come into our office complaining of indigestion and the next thing we know we're sending them off in an ambulance to get their heart checked."
For women, heart symptoms can often start, but not always, with angina or chest pain. It can also be accompanied by breathlessness that comes on with no exertion. Chronic fatigue, beyond what is normal even for active women, is another sign. Dizziness and edema, or swelling of the ankles, are two more signs. A fluttering heartbeat and indigestion can also be indications of heart disease.
To stay heart healthy, Parston says the best thing to do is exercise at least 30 minutes a day five days a week. If a person cannot spare 30 minutes, breaking it up into 10-minute blocks is usually sufficient.
Even vigorous walking, keeping a pace fast enough to increase your heart beat, and swinging the arms is good exercise, Parston said.
Another important habit to get into is eating a proper diet, she said. Choose whole grains and high-fiber foods. Diets rich in deeply colored vegetables and fruit work the best. Eating fish, especially the oily variety, and limiting red meat to just twice a week is good, she said.
"You should limit saturated fat to less than 7 percent of your calories. Minimize your intake of beverages or prepared foods with sugar. And you should limit salt and your exposure to tobacco products."
Parston also recommends avoiding white bread and rice, substituting whole wheat bread and brown rice instead. But in the case of cheese, it is the white cheese that is lower in fat and calories than yellow cheese, she cautioned.
Along with all the other information, AWC will also provide booklets with heart healthy recipes as suggested by the American Heart Association. Anyone can access the recipes by going online to: www.americanheart.org.
Parston urges the entire AWC community to wear red Thursday and give women an urgent wake-up call about their particular risk of heart disease.
William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.
