NYC community initiative pushes women to put health first: 'Health is important'

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- This women’s history month, a community initiative is aiming to empower women to put their health first.  

Free health screenings for women took place in Harlem today. Women had their weight, blood pressure, and waist circumferences checked while also receiving information on appropriate blood sugar and cholesterol levels.   

The event was put on by the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. 

“If you know your risk factors and are managing your health then you are already pre-protected,” said Dr. Icilma Fergus, the Director of Cardiovascular Disparities for the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. 

According to the CDC, more than 60 million women in the county are living with heart disease. It is also the leading cause of death for women in the US.  

Dr. Icilma Fergus says African American women and those of color are at higher risk for the disease and suffer worst outcomes from it, but most cases are preventable. 

“Women in the community are doing 500 different things and not really taking care of themselves so it is an education gap and we do have the social determinants of health that are contributory. And in some communities, there is no access or limited access to health care.”  

Stephanie Foster was at the event and got her numbers checked. For the 68-year-old from Harlem, it is important to be aware of the risk factors for heart disease.  

“Especially in our community it’s high blood pressure, diabetes and it’s really going out of control especially with the diets we have so I wanted to get all the information I could.”   

Dr. Fergus says it is imperative all women know their numbers while also understanding stress and inflammation play a part. She adds managing these factors could save your life.  Blanche Johnson agrees. The 76-year-old from Harlem has two grandkids she wants to be healthy for.  

“l think that health is important,” Blanche Johnson 

She adds, “I want to be around a long long time.” 

Blanche was not thrilled with her blood pressure on Saturday.  

She now plans to take care of herself a bit better and is grateful to the organizers for arming her with information to stay healthy.