A national campaign to help young women prevent cardiovascular disease was launched Monday at Cal State L.A.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy visited the campus to kick off the Fight the Lady Killer campaign, which is part of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative and the Clinton Foundation as well as the Women’s Heart Alliance, an organization co-founded by Barbra Streisand.
The university was chosen because more than 60 percent of those enrolled are female, and half of the student body is Latino. At least one-third of all women who suffer from cardiovascular disease nationwide are Latinas, Murthy said.
“For too long, we’ve been conditioned to see heart disease as an old man’s problem,” Murthy said. “But a woman dies nearly every minute from heart disease, and women who have heart attacks are more likely than men to die within a year.”
• PHOTOS: Heart disease prevention at Cal State L.A.
The university also has strengthened its mental health services and on Tuesday will begin the process to make Cal State L.A. a smoke-free campus, said President William Covino.
Coronary heart disease, which is the most common kind, is the leading cause of death for women. Symptoms are not always immediately recognized but may include chest pain or discomfort in the arms, neck or jaw, stomach pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating and fatigue.
Murthy, who was confirmed in December, said his goal as surgeon general is to emphasize prevention and health equality.
“The key to preventing disease is a healthy lifestyle,” Murthy said. “There are everyday steps you can take to lower your chance of developing heart disease by eating a healthy diet; being active and exercising regularly, and staying tobacco-free.”
