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Her Heart Community Comes to Birmingham, Where Risks of Cardiac Disease for Women Are Among Highest in Nation

Posted on: Friday, 27 October 2006, 12:00 CDT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Her Heart Community initiative, a 2-day educational conference featuring the latest information on the risks, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease in women, will be held in Birmingham on November 1-2. The first day (at Cafe Dupont, 6:30-8 PM) is exclusively for physicians and other health practitioners, while the second day (at The Summit Club from 11:45-1:30 PM) is open to the general public.

The event is intended to raise awareness of heart disease -- the number 1 cause of death among American women -- and to encourage the healthcare community and at-risk women to be aggressively proactive about early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Birmingham was selected to participate in the nationwide Her Heart Community tour because the heart disease risk factors and cardiac-related incidents for women in Alabama and Jefferson County are among the highest in the nation. Consider these findings:

-- Alabama has a death rate from heart disease that is substantially higher than the national average.(1) -- In 2002, the heart disease death rate for women in Alabama was 237.4 per 100,000 population-the 5th highest rate in the nation.(1) -- In Jefferson County, the heart disease death rates among women were 300.3 per 100,000 for Caucasian women and 223.7 per 100,000 for non-Caucasian women.(2)

The November 2 public event will include a presentation by Birmingham resident Nichele Hoskins, a 39-year-old African American woman who has had 2 mild heart attacks. Ms. Hoskins is an advocate for the WomenHeart non-profit organization, which trains heart attack survivors to return to their local communities and help others better understand and embrace the importance of heart-healthy living habits.

"My message to women is to stay active, reduce stress, and know the early signs of heart problems," says Ms. Hoskins, a fitness instructor at the Shades Valley YMCA and senior editor for Heart & Soul magazine.

The keynote speaker on Days 1 and 2 will be Dr. Jennifer Mieres, Director of Nuclear Cardiology for the New York University School of Medicine, and a renowned national spokesperson for the American Heart Association (AHA). The producer of the documentary, "A Woman's Heart," Dr. Mieres was profiled as an "Everyday Hero" in Newsday for her tireless efforts in advocating that physicians and the general public become more knowledgeable, vigilant, and proactive about addressing women-specific heart issues.

"We must dispel the myth that heart disease is a man's disease," said Dr. Mieres. "It is unconscionable, for example, that fewer than 1 in 5 physicians are aware that more women die of heart disease each year than men."

Dr. Mieres also will discuss a recent AHA survey, which showed that, compared to white women, African American women had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke, more than twice the prevalence of diabetes, and a disproportionate rate of obesity. Yet despite all these risks, most are not doing nearly enough to improve their health through physical activity.

Another prominent Day 1 speaker will be Ami E. Iskandrian, MD, FACP, FACC, a native of Baghdad, Iraq, and the Director of Nuclear Cardiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. An additional distinguished speaker at the Day 1 event, for physicians and health practitioners, will be Len Fromer, MD, past president of the California Academy of Family Physicians and an expert on health system reform.

Other topics to be covered in the Her Heart Community public event include:

-- Women's cardiac risk and what they can do to minimize risk factors -- Differences in coronary artery disease among black and white women

Her Heart Community (HHC) is a community-based initiative supported by Astellas Pharma US, Inc., providing health professionals, patients, and consumers with the latest developments in raising awareness of the importance of changing the way we look at women and cardiovascular disease. For more information on this event, please contact Alexa Demopoulos at 312-423-4948.

About Astellas

Astellas Pharma US, Inc., located in Deerfield, Illinois, is a US affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. The organization is committed to becoming a global pharmaceutical company by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities and continuing to grow in the world pharmaceutical market. For more information about Astellas Pharma US, Inc., please visit our website at http://www.astellas.com/us .

(1). The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 population by gender, 2002. Statehealthfacts.org. (2). 113 Causes of Death by County of Residence, Race and Sex: Alabama 2004. Montgomery, Ala: Alabama Department of Public Health. February 2006.

Astellas Pharma US, Inc.

CONTACT: Phil Chang for Astellas Pharma US, Inc., +1-312-423-4924,pchang@hlbcomm.com

Web site: http://www.astellas.com/us

Source: PRNewswire

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