Central Los Angeles : 300 Walkers Expected at Heart Walk Today

The Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw area will host its first American Heart Walk today, 1 with more than 300 walkers expected to participate.

“It’s to raise money for the American Heart Association,” said Malaika Tawasufi, regional manager of the heart association, “but it’s also to project a positive image of exercise” in the predominantly African American community.

One of every three African American men die of heart disease, Tawasufi said, because they tend to develop high blood pressure at an early age and they are less likely to be diagnosed with it.

A high fat and salt diet--typical of black and Latino diets--also contributes to heart disease, she noted.

Sign-up for the walk will begin at 7 a.m. at the Magic Johnson Theaters, Tawasufi said, with the walk starting at 8 a.m. The event is being sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.