Taking health to heart at FDA
Washington Adventist fair focuses on women's cardiovascular wellness
Statistics tell a sobering story about heart disease among American women: It is the leading cause of death, killing one out of three. Since 1985, more women have died from the disease than men.
At the Food and Drug Administration's White Oak campus last week, health workers from Washington Adventist Hospital gave free massages, healthy recipes and medical advice to FDA employees as part of American Heart Month.
"Our biggest threat to men and women is heart disease," said Kathleen Coleman, cardiovascular outreach coordinator for Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park. "Heart disease is coined as a man's disease, but it's really not."
In fact, women may be more prone to heart-related illness because symptoms can be categorized as being something else, Coleman said. Symptoms for women can include long stretches of fatigue and sweating, she said.
"It can be more vague," she said. "It can be pain in the jaw, the back, the shoulder, the stomach."
But that doesn't have to be, Coleman said. Exercising and eating healthy can produce dramatic effects for men and women, she said. In addition, drinking water is helpful in reducing heart disease, Coleman said, since it thins the blood and reduces clots.
"Depending on how serious you take [the regimen], you can prevent, you can delay ... or you can reverse heart disease."
The health fair included body-fat analysis, blood pressure tests and waist circumference measures. Massages also drew a crowd.
FDA employee Ida Faustino emerged from a massage station with more knowledge about reducing her stress, which Coleman said is often a factor in heart disease.
Faustino said she learned stress-reducing stretching techniques through massage.
"I'm always looking for better ways to improve my health," said Faustino, who said the health fair encouraged her to participate in future FDA-Adventist HealthCare events.
The health fair is an extension of the FDA's partnership with Washington Adventist Hospital. In January, the hospital and government agency held a press conference at the FDA, announcing some of the terms of their partnership.
A health event geared for men is scheduled for the spring.
Deanna Murphy, director of the office of White Oak services for the FDA, said healthier employees are more productive. While FDA employees may be more health-conscious, everyone can benefit from health fairs, she said.
"This is the perfect way to start getting employees thinking about their health," Murphy said.
Have a healthier heart
Ways to lower your
risk of heart disease:
Avoid tobacco
Be physically active
Eat healthy foods
Avoid excessive alcohol
Have regular checkups
Control your stress
Control your cholesterol
Control your blood sugar
Control your blood pressure
Sources: the Healthy Heart Handbook for Women, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
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