Screenings available 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. February 6
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Grab your sister, your mother, your daughter, or your girlfriends — it’s time for women to love their hearts. The Sixth Annual Women Love Your Heart screening event is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the WVU Heart Institute.
Heart disease is the number one killer of women, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined.
The WVU Heart Institute is partnering with the WVU National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and the WVU Extension Service to help women care for their hearts. The Women Love Your Heart event provides free screenings and assessments, including:
- Blood pressure
- Body fat
- Glucose/cholesterol
- EKG
- Cardiac risk assessment
One-on-one nutrition counseling, pharmacy consultation sessions, and personal fitness instruction will also be available. All attendees are asked to bring a list of their medications and supplements.
Fasting is preferred but not required for the cholesterol and glucose tests.
“Once again, the WVU Heart Institute, a nationally designated Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, will connect with women in our community by offering them free education and health screenings they might not receive in their regular care,” Betty Critch, WVU Center of Excellence executive director, said. “As caretakers, women’s own health needs are often neglected. ‛Women, Love Your Heart’ events celebrate the power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke.”
“Heart disease is often wrongly perceived as just a man’s issue,” Bradford Warden, M.D., director of the WVU Heart Institute, explained. “The more women know, the better prepared they will be to make the healthy choices and lifestyle changes that can make a huge difference.”
Several gift baskets will be awarded as door prizes. Attendees can make a memory at the heart-themed photo booth and share their stories with other women in social media using the hashtag #LoveYourHeart.
The WVU Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry as well as the WVU Human Nutrition and Foods program are also participating in the event, offering education and instruction on exercise, diet, wellness, and a variety of other health topics. The American Heart Association will be on hand to help participants understand their risks and find their motivation for keeping their heart healthy.
This event is funded in part by the West Virginia University Extension Service with support from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in partnership with The Heart Truth® program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
For more information about this event, call the WVU Heart Institute at 1-877-WVU-4HRT (988-4478). For information about the WVU Heart Institute, visit wvumedicine.org/heart. The WVU Heart Institute is located at 600 Suncrest Towne Centre Drive in Morgantown.