Wesley Medical Center partners with
Go Red for Women

Wesley Medical Center is the partner with the American Heart Association in the fight against heart disease, serving as the Wichita Go Red For Women sponsor. Go Red is the heart associaton’s national campaign to increase awareness of heart disease and inspire women to take charge of their heart health.  

“Wesley Medical Center has been at the heart of healthcare in Wichita since 1912.  Through the years, we have cared for the mothers, daughters and sisters that have made our community great,” said Hugh Tappan, Wesley’s chief executive officer. “We are especially eager to help increase public awareness about the threat that heart disease poses to women. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women, and we are committed to meeting the unique heart health needs of women.”

Women across the country wear a special Go Red pin depicting the campaign’s signature red dress to show their commitment to heart health. Watch this website and the www.GoRedForWomen.org site to learn about special events promoting the Go Red campaign.

Women and Heart Disease: Questions and Answers

Many women believe breast cancer is the number one killer of women. Is this true?

No. Heart disease is the single major cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. The good news is that you can do many things to prevent and treat heart disease before it becomes deadly.

What are the risk factors for heart disease?

Risk factors fall into two categories: those that are uncontrollable and those that you can control. Heredity is one uncontrollable factor that contributes to your risk. You are at higher risk if your parents had heart disease or if you are African American, Mexican American, American Indian, native Hawaiian or Asian American.  Increasing age is also a factor. About 82 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older.

Risk factors that you can control or treat include cholesterol levels, blood pressure, tobacco use, physical activity, obesity and diabetes.
 
To find out your risk for heart disease, fill in the personal “Heart Checkup” at www.GoRedforWomen.org.

What can I do to reduce my risk?

You can do several things to help prevent heart disease:
• Stop—or never start—smoking
• Choose good nutrition 
• Aim for a healthy weight
• Reduce cholesterol
• Maintain a good blood pressure
• Be physically active
• Manage diabetes
• Limit alcohol use

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. If you experience these symptoms, don’t wait — call 911 immediately!

Wesley’s Healthy Heart Initiative

Wesley is at the forefront of services to treat heart disease, offering a wide range of diagnostic and treatment options, state-of-the-art technology, and expert physicians and staff. Wesley also is completing construction of a new Cardiovascular Center. The state-of-the-art facility will add three new labs at Wesley’s Hillside campus.

“Through our $8 million purchase of new cardiovascular technology, Wesley continues to lead the movement to arm our physicians with the tools they need to help our patients live longer, stronger, and healthier lives,” said Tappan.

Wesley’s Healthy Heart Initiative goes a step further to provide a complete spectrum of heart care for women.  This includes educating the public on the risks of heart disease, prevention, heart healthy nutrition, research and rehabilitation.

For more information about Wesley’s cardiovascular services for women and for men, go to Cardiovascular Care.