FREE HEART SCREENINGS - Sister to Sister Dallas Women’s Heart Health Fair - SAT., APRIL 25 April 25, 2009

FREE HEART SCREENINGS TO BE OFFERED AT DALLAS WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH FAIR

Women to receive free heart disease screenings with on-the-spot results and counseling,
plus fun fitness demos, cooking classes, stress-buster activities, local health experts and more

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of U.S. women, claiming more lives than the top six types of cancers combined. The good news is that by learning personal risk factors and leading a heart-healthy lifestyle, women can reduce their heart disease risk up to 82 percent! That’s why it’s critical that women get screened to learn their risk factors and take steps to reduce them.

To address this need, women can obtain FREE heart health screenings with on-the-spot results and one-on-one counseling at the fifth annual Sister to Sister Dallas Women’s Heart Health Fair on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Automobile Building at Fair Park (1010 First Ave., Dallas, 75210).

Sponsored by the national Sister to Sister Foundation, the Dallas Women’s Heart Health Fair is free and open to the public. Parking is also free at Gate 2 (Haskell Ave. and Parry Ave.), Gate 4 (First Ave. and Parry Ave.) and Gate 5 (Grand Ave. and Robert B. Cullum Blvd.). DART, the official transportation provider for the event, will offer bus service to the Fair Park area (go to www.dart.org or call 214-979-1111 for more information).

“Tragically, one out of four women will die of heart disease,” said Dr. Cara East, Director of the Soltero Cardiovascular Research Center at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital. “Women must know that heart attack symptoms are different for them. They may feel shortness of breath, fatigue, abdominal pressure, nausea or heartburn, or jaw, neck, back or upper shoulder pain.”

The 15-minute health screenings, provided by Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, will include cholesterol and triglycerides, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference and review of family health history. Screening results will be provided on-the-spot and include one-on-one counseling with a licensed medical professional to discuss each woman’s results and formulate a personalized heart-health plan.

PLEASE NOTE: HEART SCREENINGS ARE FOR WOMEN AGES 18 AND UP – the first 1,500 people will be screened.

More interactive and educational activities will be offered this year including fun fitness classes, cooking demos and stress-buster tricks for leading a heart-savvy lifestyle. Ongoing activities and entertainment focusing on heart disease, stress management, nutrition and fitness will be held on four main stages. Medical and health experts from Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital will offer advice and answer audience questions. Health, fitness and stress experts, local physicians and chefs will also discuss these topics. The Univision Stage will feature Spanish-language presentations.

Zumba, belly dancing, yoga, body hooping (hula hoop demo) and other exercises to spice up traditional routines will be featured on the Fitness Stage. Guests are encouraged to join in the fitness sessions. Heart-healthy indulgences like massages, spa treatments, chocolate, raffles and giveaways will add to the fun.

Plus, attendees can browse dozens of healthy lifestyle exhibitor booths. Kidney Trust will be on site offering free chronic kidney disease screenings, and Clear Choice Chiropractic will offer free chiropractic screenings. Baylor College of Dentistry will offer free dental exams and oral cancer screenings. Bleach Bright Southwest will have laser teeth whitening, and the Lifestyle Wellness Center will have spinal screenings.

Sister to Sister is the only organization that offers free cardiac screenings on a large scale. Nationwide, Sister to Sister has screened over 80,000 women and has been a lifesaving resource for more than 200,000 women since 2000. This year, the heart health fairs will be held in 12 cities across the U.S.

National partners are Novartis, Verizon, Medtronic, Kellogg’s, Cabot and Body Benefits. Government partners are the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), The Heart Truth, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

For the fourth year, Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital is the local screening partner. Local sponsors are the Office on Women’s Health, Oncor, Pfizer and The Women’s Museum. Media partners are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA-TV Channel 8, Al Dia, Univision 23, 1270 AM La Voz del Pueblo, Recuerdo 94.1, KRNB 105.7, Mix 102.9, Generations, The Dallas Weekly, and Health Wise. DART is the official transportation provider for the event.

United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is serving as Honorary Chair for the fifth year. The event’s Co-Chairs are Colleen Barrett; Angie Chen Button; U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson; The Honorable Margaret Keliher; Wendy Lopez, P.E.; The Honorable Laura Miller; Reverend Dr. Sheron C. Patterson; State Senator Florence Shapiro; and Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez. A stellar group of women leaders representing the business, government, nonprofit and civic community serve as “heart-health ambassadors” on the 65-member Community Council.

Sister to Sister: The Women’s Heart Health Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preventing heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women, by encouraging cardiac screenings for women and providing them with resources to increase awareness, reduce personal risk factors, and live a heart-healthy lifestyle.

For more information, please visit www.sistertosister.org/dallas or call 214.871.3029.

Official Website: www.sistertosister.org/dallas