Long Beach Memorial Helps Women Get Heart Smart at the 6th Annual Women's Heart and Stroke Seminar

In honor of American Heart Awareness Month, nearly 200 women attended the 6^th annual Women’s Heart and Stroke Seminar. Despite being the leading cause of death in women, 50 percent of women don’t realize that heart disease is their greatest health risk. Too often, women misdiagnose heart attack and stroke symptoms for conditions such as acid reflux, the flu, stress or normal aging.

To bring awareness to this critical topic, advocates for heart disease and stroke prevention, the Center for Women’s Cardiac Health & Research at Long Beach Memorial and the Long Beach Memorial Stroke Program, along with the Roxanna Todd Hodges Foundation, provided women with a full day of cardiovascular and stroke lectures and
risk-screenings. The seminar brings to the forefront and pinpoints the dangers of cardiovascular disease and stroke risks specific to women.

Forty-one-year-old heart attack survivor Lilly Rocha, and two-time heart attack and stroke survivor Margi Thompson, shared their personal stories to inspire women to be proactive about their health and to accept the reality that women are not immune to these devastating diseases.

“I had a very high-stress job,” says Rocha. “I thrived on the adrenaline and what I was doing, but I started to notice that I had difficulty remembering things and began feeling ‘electrical pains’ in my chest. I went to Long Beach Memorial where it was confirmed that I had a heart attack. The disbelief is one thing, but the psychological aspect of having a heart attack was tough. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. Take care of your heart, look at your lifestyle and understand that stress can kill too.”

Like Rocha, Thompson spent a lot of her time being active. Within two years, Thompson suffered from two heart attacks. Despite eating healthy and exercising regularly, Thompson then suffered from a stroke.

“I was a healthy, active and high energy woman at 61-years-young,” says Thompson. “I had a stroke in my sleep and spent 35 days at the MemorialCare Rehabilitation Institute at Long Beach Memorial. Continuing my six to seven therapies each week at Long Beach Memorial, I have exceeded my reasonable intelligent goals for recovery in just 30 months. My husband named me his achiever.”

At the end of the day, women walked away inspired, informed and with the necessary tools to take control of their health. Eighty percent of heart attacks are preventable if risk factors are controlled. Long Beach Memorial is determined to reduce and treat the risks of cardiovascular disease and stroke by providing women with education, preventative strategies and comprehensive screenings.