Many of you who read this know that I am a cardiovascular nurse and a staff educator. Part of our focus in our Heart Hospital this year is to be an active partner with the American Heart Association...the folks that do so much to get the word out on cardiovascular risk factors and support community programming for CPR and behavior modification like smoking cessation.

There are a couple of important fundraisers happening this winter/spring in which I am participating. The first is the sale of "Red Dress" pins. These represent the need for more awareness of women and heart disease. Much of the research on which we base modern cardiology was done with male subjects. There are of course, substantial differences in our physiology so research must be conducted and then replicated on how women develop CV disease. The pins are small lapel tacks and are available for $5 from the AHA or from any Heart Program affiliated with the AHA.

The other important fundraiser is for the AHA Heart Walk in March. Heart disease survivors, their families, friends and caregivers will be walking and raising funds for AHA programs.

If you or someone you love has been affected by heart disease or stroke, please consider donating to one of these worthy fundraisers. Please contact me if you would like to do so and have no local point of contact.