Learn How to Prevent Heart Disease

Attend a free program. Seating is limited. Registration is due by Feb. 20.

BERNARDS - The Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Morris~Somerset Regional Chronic Disease and Cancer Coalition (RCDC) and its partners, the Bernard’s Township Health Department and Morristown Medical Center, invite the public to attend a free program on women and heart disease.

The program will be held Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Bernards Township Municipal Building , located at 1 Collyer Lane , Basking Ridge. Dr. Claire Boccia-Liang will discuss prevention, diagnosis, symptoms and treatment of heart disease. To register, RSVP by email to health@bernards.org or call 908-204-2520 by Feb. 20.

Dr. Boccia-Liang is the director of the Women’s Heart Program at the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Medical Center . She holds board certifications in cardiovascular disease, internal medicine and nuclear cardiology, and is on the board of the American Heart Association (AHA).

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected. Because symptoms can be different in women, they may not seek prompt medical attention or they may be misdiagnosed.

“We acknowledge and recognize February as American Heart Month with the color red as a symbol of strength, joy and power in the fight against heart disease in women,” said Freeholder Peter S. Palmer, public health and safety liaison. “We invite attendees to wear red in solidarity of this endeavor.

“According to the American Heart Association, one in three women die of heart disease or stroke each year,” he said. “The good news is that with education and lifestyle changes, 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented.”

A representative from the AHA will be on hand to answer questions. Educational materials on heart disease and nutrition will be available.

The Morris~Somerset Regional Chronic Disease Coalition is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Office of Cancer Control and Prevention. For more information, to become a member or learn more about available cancer resources, screening locations, dates, times and eligibility, contact RCDC Public Health Consultant Lucille Y-Talbot at 908-203-6077 or visit www.co.somerset.nj.us/health/RCDC/index.aspx