First ladies of Indiana, IU to speak on heart disease

Spreading awareness about the risks of heart disease is not only a state issue for Indiana first lady Cheri Daniels, but it is also a personal one. \n“I lost my mother to heart disease about four years ago,” Daniels said in an interview. “I did not realize heart disease was the number one killer among women.”\nDaniels, along with IU first lady Laurie Burns McRobbie, will speak about the disease Thursday at IU through Daniels’ “Heart to Heart” program. Daniels encourages women who attend the program to share what they’ve learned about the risks of heart disease with loved ones through heart-to-heart talks.\nThe “Heart to Heart” program stops at college campuses throughout the state to teach young women about this often preventable killer, Daniels said.\nFree health screenings will begin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Alumni Hall. Visitors can check their cholesterol, glucose and body mass levels.\n“These are numbers everyone needs to know,” Daniels said.\nMcRobbie will speak at 5:30 p.m. and Daniels, who will talk about health factors of heart disease, will follow.\n“You cannot change your sex, family history or age,” Daniels said. “I’m going to talk about some of those modifiable changes: weight, smoking (and other) things you can change.”\nThe program’s success can be measured by the number of schools that host the program and state statistics, Daniels said. Two schools called and asked Daniels to come in while she was discussing the program Tuesday on a Michigan City, Ind., radio show.\nDaniels said she has seen improvement in Indiana’s health numbers. Indiana once had the second-highest number of smokers, but that number has fallen, Daniels said. Indiana has traditionally been one of the nation’s most obese states, but that has improved as well, she said. These health improvements will trickle down to people’s health insurance, Daniels said.\n“Health affects us from daily living to our pocketbooks,” Daniels said.\nDaniels’ office and the Indiana State Department of Health contacted IU about the program last year, said Debbie Sibbitt, director of Hoosiers for Higher Education. The University tried to host the program last spring, but schedule conflicts between Daniels and IU caused the program to be postponed. Sibbitt said she was pleased with the delay.\n“This has worked out to be a great time,” Sibbitt said. “It’s early in the semester to get people thinking. As a bonus, Mrs. Daniels was able to partner with Mrs. McRobbie.”\nAfter Daniels’s speech, nurse practitioner Cindy Adams from Community Hospital in Indianapolis will address attendees. Then Kinesiology professor Jeanne Johnston will discuss her findings on young women and heart disease, Sibbitt said.\nMcRobbie and Daniels will stay to talk with guests after the program ends at 6:30 p.m., Sibbitt said.\nThe program is focused on women, but men are also welcome to attend.\n“Anybody should come if they want to lead a healthier life,” Daniels said.\nHeart disease is also the No. 1 killer among men, but they have recognized this for years, Daniels said. Women don’t traditionally think of themselves as being at risk.\n“We’re there to help make people aware and give them lots of information so they can share with others,” she said.