To paraphrase an old rock song, "Put on your red dress, ladies 'cause we're gonna talk about" women and heart disease awareness.
That's just what several women and girls did Saturday afternoon during the "Red Dress Runway Affair" in Center Court at Quincy Place Mall.
Coordinator Heather McKelvey said the red dress is a national symbol for women and heart disease. The local event started last year and the national symbol started in February 2003 as an attention-getting reminder that heart disease is the number one killer of women.
"Women think of others before they'll think of inner self and health and get checked," McKelvey said. "They're busy running households and taking care of everyone else. The red dress symbol started last year in bringing attention to women's heart disease."
Dr. Mudassir Malik is a cardiologist at the Iowa Heart Center, 1005 E. Pennsylvania Ave., and he discussed diabetes and heart disease in relation to women.
"The epidemic called diabetes is on the rise. It's the fifth deadliest disease for women and there is no cure," he said. "About 132 billion dollars is spent in a year's time. For every $10 spent on health care, about $1 goes to diabetes."
Diabetes increases the chance of heart attack and stroke, Malik said. Heart disease is twice as common in diabetics. He's "very disappointed" more and more women are dying from diabetes, despite "all the advancements" made in medications and treatments.
Malik said women need to get diabetes under control now because their quality of life in 20 years "depends on what they do now." He said he was "happy to see" so many people walking in the mall because walking three times a week can greatly diminish the chances of diabetes and heart disease.
The event featured 22 models wearing fashions from several local clothiers and five guest speakers, including doctors and women offering personal testimonials about heart problems.
Other contributors included YMCA staff, offering information about exercise and fitness; Ottumwa Regional Health Center dietitians; Just Eliminate Lies (JEL), a tobacco cessation organization; and Indian Hills Community College students, who assisted with cardiac arrest assessment.
For information, contact the Iowa Heart Center, 1005 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite, 207, (641) 682-5349; the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Department, Ottumwa Regional Health Center, 1001 E. Pennsylvania Ave., (641) 684-2300; or go online to www.hearttruth.gov
Cindy Toopes can be reached at (641) 683-5376 or via e-mail at cindy@ottumwacourier.com. To see more of Ottumwa Courier or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ottumwacourier.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, Ottumwa Courier, Iowa Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, Ottumwa Courier, Iowa