source: www.dailystar.com.lb

A cardiovascular health center focusing on women was inaugurated in Baabda Thursday under the patronage of first lady Wafa Sleiman and her new organization Yaduna. “There is a misconception about coronary heart disease, which is that it’s commonly considered a disease mostly affecting men,” Dr. Antoine Sarkis, a cardiologist and cardiology professor, remarked during the opening ceremony.

“Another misconception is that cancer is the leading cause of mortality among women. In fact, many studies prove that death from cardiovascular diseases in women is seven times higher than death resulting from breast cancer,” she added.

Sarkis, who practices at Hotel Dieu Hospital and teaches at St. Joseph University’s Faculty of Medicine, said the new center would focus on “early diagnosis, planning and organizing treatment, and researching with other institutes and Lebanese communities.”

Studies show that one in three female adults will develop some form of cardiovascular disease and that 56 percent of female deaths result from heart disease. It is this reality that Sleiman wanted to address with the center, which she founded through her heart health organization, Yaduna.

“It is my duty to serve the Lebanese people and the Arab residents in Lebanon,” Sleiman said at the opening of the Women’s Heart Health Center.

“Since a large number of women are in need of help, I have decided to direct my attention toward them and, accordingly, I created Yaduna, a nonprofit organization that aims at enhancing the quality of life for women.”

Sleiman is the president of Yaduna (Our Hand), which works with the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine and St. Joseph University’s Faculty of Medicine.

The three organizations signed an agreement on March 21 to establish the new women’s health center to focus on screening, improving diets to promote cardiovascular health, helping people quit smoking, spreading awareness, researching and lobbying.

The two-floor center expects to screen 2,600 women during its first year of operations.

Yaduna has invested more than $4 million thus far in the facility.

Dr. Samir Alam, head of the division of cardiology at AUB and professor of medicine, cited “the global burden of disease, the vulnerability of women to develop heart disease, and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention” as reasons why the facility’s services were needed.

A focus on cardiovascular health is Yaduna’s first initiative, but not the last. The center will also conduct research projects to unearth the factors that cause high rates of cardiovascular disease among women, Alam said. The hope is that the discovery of root causes, be they genetic, environmental or physiological, will boost preventative efforts.

Recognizing the needs of women, Sleiman said she became involved in the project in order to “promote the quality of life for women,” irrespective of their social background.