News Archive

NEW YORK – February 11, 2021 - The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) will hold a free online seminar, The Big Three: High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, and Diabetes, at 12:00 PM ET on February 22, 2021 hosted by Drs. Nisha Jhalani and Sonia Tolani, cardiologists from NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The seminar is part of a series of “Mini Med Schools” conducted by the CRF Women’s Heart Health Initiative (WHHI), which empowers women with everyday tools they can use to defy heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading killer of women, and the WHHI is working to change this. 80% of cardiac events can be prevented through lifestyle changes and medication. The Big Three will tackle three of the most common risk factors for cardiovascular disease – high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, and diabetes. Attendees will learn practical tips to reduce their risk for heart disease – and how managing these risk factors can prevent or delay the development of heart disease, especially for people with diabetes.

“High blood pressure and high cholesterol are often asymptomatic, while symptoms of diabetes can often be subtle,” said Nisha Jhalani, MD, Director of the CRF Women’s Heart Health Initiative and Director of Inpatient Clinical Services at the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “We want to encourage people to discuss their heart risk with their doctor early and often. Especially at a time when so many people are avoiding regular physician visits due to COVID-19, it’s critical to educate them about conditions that can be difficult to detect unless they are screened for them.”

“Healthy lifestyle habits are the first line in the treatment and prevention of hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes,’” said Sonia Tolani, MD, Co-Director, Columbia Women’s Heart Center and cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “We may not be able to control our genetics, but studies have shown that heart disease risk can be reversed through many healthy lifestyle habits.”

This program is supported by educational grants from Abiomed, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Chiesi, Medtronic, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk Inc.

To register for the seminar, please visit https://www.crf.org/whhi/topics/the-big-three.