On the occasion of Wear Red Day, cardiology teams from the Center for Integrated Health and Social Services (CISSS) of Montérégie-Est will walk today at lunchtime to raise awareness about cardiovascular health in women.

Cardiovascular diseases affect approximately 1.3 million Canadians, and although the vast majority of the population does not realize it, these diseases affect women differently than men. In fact, the symptoms of a heart attack go unnoticed in half of the women who suffer from it. These include nausea, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, and discomfort in the chest or other areas of the upper body.

“Women are more likely to die from a heart attack than men. Days like these are important to raise awareness of this reality. A few years ago, we opened the first clinic specializing in cardiovascular health for women on the South Shore, at Pierre Boucher Hospital,” noted Dr. Christine Pacheco, a cardiologist at Pierre Boucher Hospital and Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Montreal: “We have developed innovative pathways in partnership with our patients in order to provide special care for women’s heart health.”