Mayor Van Poucke declares "Women's Heart Day"

The Heart Truth campaign and its Red Dress Project are coming to Siloam Springs, AR and the surrounding area.

Only 55 percent of women know that heart disease is their leading cause of death, and most fail to make the connection between its risk factors—such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol—and their personal risk of developing heart disease. In fact, this disease kills one out of every three American women. A nationwide campaign—The Heart Truth—is underway to raise awareness that women need to protect their heart.

The Heart Truth features a Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness. This symbol links a woman’s focus on her “outer self” to the need to also focus on her “inner self” and her heart. What’s a Red Dress got to do with it? A simple Red Dress works as a visual red alert to get the message heard loud and clear: “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear—It’s the #1 Killer of Women.”

While heart disease risk begins to rise in middle age, heart disease develops over time and can start at a young age—even in the teen years. It’s never too early—or too late—to take action to prevent and control the risk factors for heart disease. This national campaign is building awareness of women’s heart disease and empowering women to reduce and prevent their risk. It is reaching women with important heart health messages in community settings through a diverse network of national and grassroots partner organizations.

The Heart Truth campaign is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); WomenHeart: the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease; Bridges to Wellness, Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital, 2008 Siloam Springs Heart Walk, St. Francis Clinic, The American Heart Association, and other groups committed to the health and well-being of women.

Community organizations across the country are joining The Heart Truth campaign and using its Red Dress symbol to raise awareness about women and heart disease. Educational materials are being distributed at local events and presentations emphasizing women’s health issues. Mayor M.L. Van Poucke has been asked to declare October 18, 2008 as Women’s Heart Day.

If you would like to have someone speak to your civic group or club, please feel free to call Bridges to Wellness, at (479) 549-2639, for more information. To find out more about women and heart disease, visit The Heart Truth Web pages at https://mail.ssmh.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.hearttruth.gov/ or call the NHLBI Health Information Center at 301-592-8573.

(Featured in GROUP Photo above, left to right: Tammy Weeks, Bridges to Wellness; Shelly Moran, Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital; Joyce Lynch, Bridges to Wellness; Patti Eiland, Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce; Sheila Colvin, Liberty Bank & 2008 Heart Walk Co-Chair; Mayor M.L. Van Poucke, City of Siloam Springs; Raquel Beck, St. Francis Clinic of Siloam Springs; Gail Walters, 2008 Heart Walk Committee Member; Melanie Brakeville, Bridges to Wellness; Jennifer Lightle, American Heart Association. CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR LARGER VERSION.)