Sanchez: Latinas, Take Care of Your Heart Health

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Latinas are “the heart, el corazón, of the home, acting as gatekeepers for their loved ones’ well-being.

“But it is their own hearts that are in danger.”

So says Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association, in a great new Huffington Post op-ed.

Sanchez cites statistics that show Latinas are likely to develop heart disease 10 years earlier than white women.

And it’s the No. 1 killer of Latinas.

Yet, he says, “80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented with education and lifestyle changes, lifestyle changes as simple as: cooking traditional foods with healthier ingredients; exercising as a family; asking for blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol checks; and even going grocery shopping together as a family for healthier foods.”

Sanchez touts the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women/Go Red Por Tu Corazón movement to empower women to take care of their hearts.

“We need all of you. Join our Go Red campaign. On Feb. 6, commit to sharing the symbol of increasing awareness about heart disease among Latinas and all women by participating in National Wear Red Day,” Sanchez said in the op-ed.