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Press Release. For immediate release

Contact: EHE International - Nicholas Danielides
Danielides Communications, Inc.
Nick@danielides.net
(212) 319.7566

Women’s Heart Foundation - Bonnie Arkus
Bonnie@womensheart.org
(609) 433.5047

EHE International and the Women’s Heart Foundation deliver a critical message to Women for National Heart Month in NYC Window Display

Subtle but dangerous heart disease symptoms in women identified, survival steps urged, in February banner at 10 Rockefeller Plaza

NEW YORK, NY. February 2, 2015 - This year alone, nearly 370,000 American women will succumb to heart disease and stroke, and 8.6 million women worldwide. Another 8 million U.S. women are currently living with the disease after having experienced a heart attack or stroke. It affects one in two women and is the leading cause of death in women. Since 1984, more women than men have died, and while death rates have lowered in both men and women, rates have not declined as dramatically in women.

Life-threatening, but subtle heart symptoms are experienced by many women. Knowing how to respond to those symptoms could save a life. This is the most important preventive message to women in the EHE International window display of the Women’s Heart Foundation.

In a 2009 study, when the participants were asked what they would do if they thought they were having signs of a heart attack, only 53% said that they would call 9-1-1. "Women may be uncertain if they are having a heart attack, don't want to bother anyone, and are embarrassed to call emergency services", said Dr. Lori Mosca of the New York Presbyterian Medical Center. This delay in calling 9-1-1 has serious repercussions, she says, as it delays the chances for women to receive lifesaving therapies, and added: "We still have a marked disparity in awareness among minority women, which is really important because they carry a disproportionate amount of CVD risk". According to the National Institutes of Health, The mortality rate from CAD is 69% higher in black women than in white women; and 54% higher from Stroke. Mortality for black females from hypertension is 352% higher than for white females.

The Women’s Heart Foundation provides education on heart disease as it affects women differently and supports demonstration projects for prevention, with special focus on under-served minority populations. “We are advocating for research of new tools that can safely and more accurately diagnose heart disease in women. This is where the medical community is currently most challenged” says Bonnie Arkus, RN, president and founder or the Women’s Heart Foundation. “We are seeing more young people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). African American women are at exceptional risk for CVD. These health disparities must not be allowed to continue.”

It’s estimated 80% of heart disease is preventable, and can even be reversed through healthy lifestyle changes yet only a small percentage of government money is spent on prevention. “It is far more cost-effective to foster healthy living than treat a person in critical care suffering the horrors of a heart attack”, says Bonnie. “We’ve neglected to create or develop infrastructure to support healthy living. We need to win this battle, attack heart disease at its early stages, and empower women to make critical choices to prevent this devastating disease from occurring.” The Foundation seeks to raise funds to continue its mission of prevention and education.

“One of the most important steps that women can take in order to properly care for their hearts is learning their risks for heart disease” said Deborah McKeever, president of EHE International. "Our gift to the Women’s Heart Foundation will assist in expanding their mission of prevention and education, promoting awareness of gender-specific medicine and equality in heart care survival”.

“We are thrilled and excited to have received the gifted window display for February from EHE International. This will allow us to reach thousands more women with the heart disease message”, said Ms. Arkus.



About The Women's Heart Foundation The Women’s Heart Foundation’s (WHF) mission of prevention is achieved through education, advocacy and promotion of gender-specific care. The Foundation also supports demonstration projects for prevention. Go to www.womensheart.org to learn more. The site features gender care articles from health experts, guidelines and survivor stories. The WHF has conducted five national conferences on gender care chaired by renowned health leaders, and were attended by more than 2,000 physicians and nurses. During the month of February, Heart Month, the WHF conducts and helps organize outreach in commemoration of its flagship program: Women’s Heart Week February 1-7. From 2003 – 2010, the Women’s Heart Foundation implemented a highly successful demonstration project at a Trenton New Jersey High School, whereby improvement in outcomes was achieved by affecting health behaviors in at-risk minority teen girls. In all, more than 1200 students were served over a 7-year period. Hence, the WHF is expanding this effort with online tools available to schools who wish to replicate the program. A website was recently launched to offer new services: www.HeartFitKids.com.

WHF was founded in 1988, incorporated in 1992 by registered nurse Bonnie Arkus after her mother and other family members died prematurely from heart disease. Realizing the death rate in women was on the rise, and there was a lack of awareness of how heart disease presents differently in women, she set about for meaningful change. For more information, please visit www.womensheart.org or call 609-771-9600.

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About EHE International EHE International is celebrating over 100 years as the recognized leader in preventive medicine with the release of a new book, 100 Years of Preventive Health: The History of EHE International. Established in 1913, EHE International is America’s largest and most experienced preventive medicine specialist and the preferred choice among employers for the prevention and early detection of disease and associated risk factors. For more information, contact EHE International, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10020; 212.332.3700; visit www.eheintl.com. .