On the occasion of World Heart Day, which is celebrated on 29 September, Fondazione Onda, the National Observatory on Women’s and Gender Health, organizes the (H) Open Week dedicated to cardiovascular diseases from 26 September to 2 October with the aim to promote information, prevention and early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, with a particular focus on abdominal aortic aneurysm, heart attack, valve diseases and heart failure.
Cardiovascular diseases represent the main cause of death in our country, being responsible for 35.8 percent of all deaths: they occur in women with a delay of at least ten years compared to men, since women are protected from menopause until menopause. Hormonal “shield” of estrogen. Later, they are affected by cardiovascular events, often more serious among other things, even if they manifest themselves with a less evident clinical picture. For both sexes, however, the role of primary prevention remains crucial, mainly linked to lifestyles, and of early diagnosis, in particular in those with cardiovascular risk factors such as familiarity, old age, smoking, arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, overweight, obesity, stress.
“The aim of this initiative is to underline the importance of primary prevention and early diagnosis and to help dispel the mistaken belief that cardiovascular diseases mainly affect men, with the vast majority of women having a very low perception of the dangers related to these pathologies. Given the great success and the high number of requests last year, we decided to replicate, alongside the abdominal aortic aneurysm other cardiac problems that are very widespread and still often underestimated or not known by the population and organizing a whole week of free services. . This appointment is even more significant given the problems in accessing hospital services related to the spread of Covid ”comments Francesca Merzagora, President of the Onda Foundation.
The structures of the Bollini Rosa network that have joined the initiative will offer free consultations and diagnostic tests (ECG electrocardiograms) and interviews in the specialist areas of cardiology and vascular surgery. From 12 September all the services offered with indications on dates, times and booking methods will be available on the website www.bollinirosa.it. You can select the region and province of interest to view the list of participating hospitals and consult the services offered.
Initiatives in hospitals in the province of Ravenna
Two face-to-face conferences will be held at the Santa Maria delle Croci hospital in Ravenna, open to the public without reservation, on Saturday 1 October from 10 to 12 in the Triossi Aula Magna, entitled Prevention of cardiovascular risk factors as a burden of acute coronary syndrome , organized by the Cardiology Unit at 10.00, and then at 11.00 entitled: The Aneurysm of the Abdominal Aorta: Instructions for use, organized by the Vascular Surgery Unit. Finally, on the afternoon of Monday 26 September from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm the execution of an ECG and interview will be available at the Cardiology clinics on the 1st floor red staircase of the Ravenna Hospital with reservation at the telephone number 0544 285608.
An in-person conference was organized at the hospital in Faenza, open to the public without reservation, on 1 October at 9 am at the Monumental entrance of the hospital, entitled: Good practices for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Following in the same location, from 10 to 13, the glycemic stick execution and dietary counseling and nutritional counseling by the Diabetology Unit will be available without reservation. In addition, the Cardiology Unit makes it possible to perform ECGs followed by an eventual interview upon reservation at the telephone number 0546 601791 from 9.30 to 11.30. It is possible to book until 26/09/22. At the Lugo hospital, the ECG examination and interview by telephone booking on 0545 214151 are scheduled for Tuesday 27 September from 9 to 13 at the Cardiology Outpatient Clinics, Pavilion A, Ground floor.
Onda Foundation, since 2007 has awarded hospitals that provide services dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the main female pathologies the recognition of the Pink Stamps; the network, made up of 354 hospitals located throughout the country, supports Fondazione Onda in promoting, also within hospitals, a “gender” approach in the definition and strategic planning of clinical-assistance services, essential to guarantee the right to health not only of women but also of men. The initiative is carried out with the patronage of the Italian Association of Arrhythmology and Cardiostimulation (AIAC), the Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology (GISE), the Italian Society of Cardiology (SIC), the Italian Society of Cardiac Surgery (SICCH), the Italian Society of Vascular Surgery and endovascular (SICVE), Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention (SIPREC) and with the unconditional contribution of Medtronic, a leading company in HealthCare Technology.