CUMC Goes Red For Women

Heart disease is the number one killer of women. It takes the life of ten times more women than breast cancer. If those numbers are surprising, then it should come as no surprise that the American Heart Association is trying to educate women on their risk of developing heart disease. Many women die of this disease because they are not aware of the warning signals, which can be very different from the more commonly known symptoms for men.

Claire B. Hunter, M.D., Board Certified Cardiologist and assistant professor of Medicine at Creighton University Medical Center, points out the importance of educating women regarding their risks for heart disease. "The general population has been so focused on breast cancer as a woman's major health concern that they don't realize cardiac disease is an even bigger threat," said Dr. Hunter. "And women need to be more in tune with the symptoms, which can be as subtle as indigestion, pain in the back or shoulders, fatigue or anxiety."

In order to raise awareness about this important health issue for women, the Cardiac Center of Creighton University Medical Center has partnered with more than 25 restaurants in the metro area for "Girls Night Out." On February 5, from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., participating restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to the American Heart Association. Women are encouraged to gather at a participating restaurant with their friends and family to support this effort. A list of participating restaurants can be found at http://thecardiaccenter.creighton.edu/girlsnight.html.

In addition, Creighton University Medical Center is suspending its "Creighton blues" for a day to participate in a national "Go Red for Women" event. Everyone is encouraged to wear red on Friday, February 6, to show support of raising awareness about the prevalence of heart disease in women.

The Cardiac Center at Creighton University Medical Center provides referring physicians, healthcare professionals, patients and their families the area's only freestanding facility dedicated to cardiovascular research and education, risk modification, diagnosis and treatment. Services at the Cardiac Center include physician evaluation and management, electrocardiography, stress testing, echocardiography, implantable cardiac defibrillator and pacemaker management, cardiac catheterization, enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy and risk reduction. Prevention services include nutrition education, stress management, smoking cessation and exercise.

Creighton is an independent, comprehensive university operated by the Jesuits. Creighton has been ranked at or near the top of Midwestern universities in the U.S. News & World Report magazine's "Americašs Best Colleges" edition for more than a decade.