Every Beat Counts

What if that pain in your neck or jaw or stomach isn’t a symptom of the flu? What if that sudden outbreak of sweat isn’t from another hot flash? And that fatigue and shortness of breath, could they be lingering because of something other than spending too much time on the couch? The answer to the latter is yes, and, it turns out, each of these common symptoms can be signs of heart attack in women.

Surprised? You’re not alone. Breast cancer may be the boogieman that worries most women (and it’s no small matter that one in 31 women die from breast cancer each year), but it’s not the number one killer of women worldwide. That dubious title goes heart disease, which is the cause of death for one in three women in the United States.

Hadassah, the Women Zionists Organization of America, wants women, especially Jewish and younger women, to answer the wake up call and become advocates for their own health. Heart disease is a killer with symptoms that are different in women than men. Hadassah’s new global education campaign aims to teach women these facts and empower them to be their own best “Heart Healthy Advocate.”

I spoke with Deena Feinman, San Diego’s Hadassah director, and Audrey Levine, president of the local chapter, on the phone about this new effort and Hadassah’s upcoming luncheon and program called, “Girlfriend’s Take Heart! A Women’s Heart Health Program.” Foodies take note – Chef Palma Bellighieri of Rancho La Puerta is preparing the menu.

Until recently, researchers and academics erroneously assumed that what was true for men and heart health also held true for women. That notion has been turned upside down in recent years and science is scrambling for information specific to heart health and risk factors for women. So far, what we know is we still have a lot to learn about heart disease in women.

“It’s not just a medical issue,” Feinman says, “it’s a political issue.”

Fortunately, this is changing, she explains. With members in every congressional district in the country, Hadassah is advocating for legislation to fund gender-balanced medical research.

“On the political front, both in Israel and the United States, there’s a movement to secure funding and treat the disease [in women] as the crisis that it is,” Feinman says.

“It’s incredibly motivating to be part of the program,” Levine adds. Her advice to women is simple: you have to advocate for yourself.

“Doctors may not recognize certain symptoms and associate them with heart disease. Don’t just accept the answer [and think] you are ok if you are feeling something,” she continues.

The message from Hadassah’s new global information campaign is one part educational and one part proactive – Every Beat and Every Step Counts. By signing up online at Hadassah.org, women can get the facts about cardiovascular disease (did you know that 82 percent is preventable?) and become part of the global walking program (10,000 steps a day may keep the heart attacks at bay).

Leading by example, women’s heart health is taking center stage at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem thanks to a generous donation from Irene Pollin. Pollin, who’s daughter died at age 16 from a heart defect, donated $10 million to several hospitals around the world – including Hadassah in Israel and Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Her donation established the Linda Joy Pollin Women’s Heart Health Programs in support of women’s heart research and education.

San Diegans can join the charge on Oct. 18 with  “Girlfriends Take Heart! A Women’s Heart Health Program.” Hadassah expects 175-200 women to attend the luncheon at AMN Healthcare in Carmel Valley. Dr. Christina Adams of Scripps Health will join Chef Palma Bellighieri of Rancho La Puerta and a panel discussion with two members of Hadassah, one the survivor of a heart-transplant, the other a survivor of triple bypass surgery (both women are younger than 50).

The lunch menu is a secret for now, but Chef Bellighieri did reveal she’s working on recipes that include “soup, salad and something sweet.” She credits her Sicilian father for giving “me the taste” and her Israeli husband for “inspiring her to discover how food can heal people.”

Bellighieri wants to inspire the women who attend the event to “think outside the box and be creative with food, minimize salt and sugar, and substitute with herbs to enhance the flavors.

“I hope they feel good about themselves, enjoy what they eat and transmit that to their children,” she adds.

When you think of heart issues, you think of older women (and men), Levine says. The fact is, heart disease can kill young people, even people who are fit and healthy.

“That’s the kind of information motivating me to educate people,” Levine notes.

Feinman agrees. One of the most important changes she’s made in her personal life is to walk 10,000 steps and become part of a virtual walking team. The Every Step Counts program has “made me conscious of something I knew on an intellectual level that I hadn’t implemented in my daily life.”

Register for the Oct. 18 event and learn more about Hadassah’s initiative at Hadassah.org. Chef Palma Bellighieri can be reached at ChefPalma.com.

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