Going Red for February

BROWNSVILLE & HARLINGEN – The month of February is American Heart Health Month, and the campuses of Valley Baptist Health System will be “dressing for the occasion,” in addition to holding a number of heart health seminars and events for the community.

Beginning Thursday, February 1 at 6:30 p.m., entrances at both Valley Baptist-Brownsville and Valley Baptist-Harlingen will be illuminated with exterior red lights in an effort to raise community awareness regarding heart disease.

Valley Baptist Health System is also encouraging the community to join its staff and employees in wearing red to promote heart health awareness on Friday, February 2 during the American Heart Association’s National Wear Red Day.

Both Valley Baptist-Brownsville and Valley Baptist-Harlingen have a number of events scheduled in February associated with heart health.

At Valley Baptist-Brownsville, Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Jaime Gomez will speak on women and heart disease during a “Women and Heart Health” luncheon on Saturday, February 17 at noon.

Then on Wednesday, February 21 at 6 p.m., join Valley Baptist-Brownsville for a heart healthy dinner and a discussion on preventing, diagnosing, and treating heart disease led by Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Jaime Silva.

Both events will be held in Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s Tower Conference Room, located at 1040 West Jefferson Street in Brownsville.

At Valley Baptist-Harlingen, Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Farley Neasman will discuss the latest information on preventing, diagnosing, and treating heart disease during a heart healthy dinner on Wednesday, February 21 at 6 p.m.

Also at Valley Baptist-Harlingen, the “Road to Healthy Heart” health fair is scheduled for Saturday, February 24 from 7 – 10 a.m.

The health fair will feature healthy eating for the New Year information, in addition to an exercise station with tips and guidelines offered by the Valley Baptist Health and Fitness Center.

Attendees can also take advantage of a free cardiac health risk assessment and blood pressure screenings.

Additional screenings such as glucose testing (fasting required) and lipid panels (fasting required) will be available for select at-risk attendees.

Both events at Valley Baptist-Harlingen will be held in the hospital’s Woodward Conference Room, located at 2101 Pease Street in Harlingen.

All events are free of charge, but a reservation is required.

Please call (844) 502-7055 to register.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, and is responsible for approximately one in every four deaths.

There is a wide array of risk factors associated with heart disease, including:

• High blood pressure

• High LDL cholesterol

• Smoking

• Diabetes

• Overweight and obesity

• Poor diet

• Physical inactivity

• Excessive alcohol use

In addition to the various Valley Baptist heart health events scheduled in February, Valley residents are encouraged to take additional steps to find out whether they are at risk for heart disease.