Eight million American women are living with heart disease; 435,000 will have heart attacks this year and of those, 267,000 will die.
Scary, huh?
The good news is that there’s a way to put the odds in your favor.
According to Dr. Noel Bairey Merz, the chances of having heart disease can be reduced significantly by eating better, exercising more and maintaining a healthy weight.
Bairey Merz, a world expert in women’s heart health, was in Denver to speak at a luncheon benefiting the . The event chaired by Joya Wolf brought 650 people to the Seawell Grand Ballroom and was expected to net $200,000.
The luncheon also marked the 10th anniversary of the center and was the occasion for its managing director, David Samson, to offer public thanks to the Anschutz Foundation for its gift of $1 million to create the Nancy Anschutz Endowed Chair in Women’s Health Research.
Founded by Drs. Judy Regensteiner, JoAnn Lindenfeld and Lorna Moore, the center is located on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora and is dedicated to transforming women’s health through research, mentoring and education.
Bairey Merz is the director of the at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles.
She said people can reduce their risk of developing heart disease by as much as 82 percent by adopting a healthier lifestyle, including eating a rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains; not smoking; having a BMI ( ) between 22 and 25; exercising for 30 minutes per day; and enjoying one serving of alcohol per day.
UMB Bank was the luncheon’s Lead Sponsor, and Dana Abraham, Private Wealth Management president, was joined by fellow UMB execs Jeanne Saunders and Meg Armstrong.
Mary Stuart, chair of the CWHR’s advisory board, was there, too, along with her predecessor, Betsy Mangone, and chair-elect Catherine Petros.
Other guests were host committee chairs Sharon and Lanny Martin; Marcy Benson; Nancy Petry; Lyda Ludeman; Eileen Honnen McDonald; Judi and Joe Wagner; Jean Galloway; Lin Carlson; Chris Shore; Laura Barton; Kerrie Moreau; Barry Petersen and Mary Nell Wolff; Judi Newman; Susan Hilb; Darden Coors; Jan Meck; and Terry Biddinger.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
