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Women ‘go red’ for heart disease awareness

Posted at 5:37 PM, Feb 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-07 18:37:48-05

Women in Lafayette are wearing red to raise awareness about heart disease.

The American Heart Association hosted their annual Go Red for Women luncheon today at the Cajundome Convention Center.

Those who have been affected by the disease are sharing their stories to warn others to take steps toward prevention.

“One in three women are affected by heart disease, and I don’t think that’s a number that’s well-known by women and by others in the community,” said Angie Begnaud, Chief Clinical Officer of LHC Group.

The prevalence of heart disease is something many don’t realize until it hits close to home.

“My mom, at an early age, she was in her early sixties, and she had a really severe heart attack,” said Begnaud.

Now, these women are using their experiences to help educate others on the misconceptions of the disease.

“Overwhelming number of women ignore their symptoms or attribute their symptoms to secondary causes, such as acid reflux, gas or stress,” said cardiologist Arti Singh.

However, health care professionals say that can be changed with knowledge about what heart disease looks like and maintaining a healthy lifestyle by cutting down on salt and sugar.

“As women, we tend to not care for ourselves, and we tend to care for others, but we need to think about ourselves and take care of ourselves at some point, so we can be there for the ones we love,” said Begnaud.

A mission of the American Heart Association is for women to begin to take self-care as seriously as we care for our loved ones.