Go Red promotes heart health

Tuesday night Williston's second annual Go Red for Women Heart Health Event was held at the Old Armory, and the event was part of a nationwide effort to increase awareness about heart disease.

The event kicked off with Eagle Ridge Restaurant Head Cook Sara Treib's demonstration of how to make a heart-healthy beef stir fry, and also featured Mercy Wellness Center dietician Sandra Horab. Go Red bags were given out, and these included 47 "Light and Easy recipes" from the American Heart Association for people to try at home.

Survivors Norma Oyen and Penny Gohl shared their experiences with heart disease and the importance of heart health. Gohl told women to listen to their bodies.

"That is the most important lesson I learned from my experience with heart disease," she said. "This has been a life change, but a good change. I eat healthier, exercise and try to walk every day. If listening to my story can help even just one woman fight heart disease, it is worth it."

Dr. Beverly Tong then took the stage to talk about heart health and hormones. Tong specializes in women's health at the Great Plains Health Initiative Center. She spoke about the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that women should know about in preventing heart disease, lifestyle modifications and ways to treat the symptoms of menopause.

She stressed eating healthy, exercising, quitting smoking, losing weight, knowing your family history, and also mentioned the benefits of getting the whole family involved in healthy heart behaviors. She talked about evidence-based medicine and observational studies.

"We're learning more and more every year," she said.

Tong summarized three studies in particular, and showed why hormone treatments are not always necessary.

"Every woman is special," she said.

She said that there are more deaths from heart disease in women than in men. She spoke about modifiable risk factors for heart disease including hormones, lifestyle modifications, and evidence-based medicine. After people started saying that hormones were necessary in the 90's, people have now found that they aren't. In treatment of menopausal symptoms, she mentioned diet, calcium servings, exercise, smoking, layered clothing, and avoiding certain triggers of hot flashes. She went over the benefits of some alternative medicines, but said that these are not regulated by the FDA. Some alternative medicines that she mentioned included black cohosh, ginseng, and dom quai. She also talked about going to the doctor for regular heart checkups and taking stress tests. She presented some facts about smoking as well, saying that we need to teach children through our own actions. "Whatever myths are out there that say that women are protected form heart disease, they're just not true," said Tong. "You need to love your heart."