NYMC Hosts Women’s Heart Health Discussion with Expert Panel

On March 20, D. Douglas Miller, M.D., C.M., M.B.A., right, dean of the School of Medicine, moderated a panel presentation, Heart Health: What Every Woman Needs to Know, co-presented with the American Heart Association (AHA). The speakers provided an overview of heart disease in the U.S., noting especially its prevalence among women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., with more women dying of cardiovascular disease than all forms of cancer, according to the AHA.  Presenters, from left were: Patrick W. Thomas, M.D., M.B.A., FACC, board president of the Putnam County American Heart Association and chief of cardiology and chairman of the Department of Medicine at Hudson Valley Hospital and Tanya Dutta, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, NYMC, and cardiologist at Westchester Heart and Vascular, Westchester Medical Center. 

The speakers emphasized that 80 percent of heart disease and strokes is believed to be preventable through lifestyle changes and education, and both experts spoke about behaviors to improve heart health, including providing an overview of the American Heart Association’s lifestyle change recommendations: Life’s Simple 7®. The well-attended discussion was free and open to the public, and included a Q&A session with the experts. “Everything you do to reduce your heart disease risk factors makes a huge difference,” said Dr. Dutta in closing.