Pacoima : Heart Seminar Focus Is on Black Women
A health seminar focusing on heart disease in African American women will be held Saturday at the Northeast Valley Multipurpose Senior Center.
The free seminar, called “Saving Our Lives: Black Women Fighting Heart Disease,” is part of a national initiative sponsored by the American Heart Assn., Dupont Radiopharmaceuticals and the Assn. of Black Women Physicians.
February has been designated as American Heart Month to promote awareness and treatment of heart disease, the No. 1 cause of death and disability in the country, according to the American Heart Assn.
The seminar, one of a series being held this month in Los Angeles, will include blood-pressure screenings and a food tasting of “heart-healthy” dishes. Participants also will be encouraged to discuss heart disease and controllable risk factors with dietitians and cardiologists.
Causes of heart disease include a diet high in fat and cholesterol, lack of exercise, smoking, high blood pressure and a family heart disease history.
Doctors say African Americans are more disposed to high blood pressure than other races, making them susceptible to stroke or heart attack. Annually, doctors say, high blood pressure causes about 60,000 deaths among the nation’s African American population.
Death from high blood pressure for black women is estimated to be more than five times greater than it is for white women, according to the American Heart Assn.
The seminar will be held from 9:15 a.m. to noon at the senior center, 11300 Glenoaks Blvd. in Pacoima. To register, call (818) 834-6100.
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