Sister to Sister

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The Sister to Sister Foundation is thankful that women from all over the country took time out of their busy lives to attend a National Women's Healthy Heart Fair in their community. In February 2008, we had over 45,000 women attend our fairs, and as a result, more than 12,000 women were screened for heart disease. Sister to Sister is about changing lives and helping women take the necessary steps to live a more heart-healthy lifestyle for themselves and their families.

Impact on Women

Since our founding, more than 175,000 women have attended a National Women's Healthy Heart Fair; and more than 70,000 women have been screened. Approximately 80% of these women recognized, for the first time, at our Fair, that they are at risk for heart disease. More than 50% learned that they had two or more risk factors. Nearly three-quarters of the women found to be at risk reported seeing their doctor as a follow-up to the screening.

Screenings Save Lives

Many conditions that put women at risk for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, are hard to detect without screening. Women who attend the fairs are screened for blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL); and they are provided with an overall risk assessment. We provide individual results on site, with counseling that explains the results and describes next steps.

2008 Screening Results

The impact that our screenings had on women across the country in 2008 was profound.

• 70% of the participants who were screened had never attended a STS heart health fair before... that equals 8,400 women who wouldn't have known they could be at risk for heart disease.
• 5,220 women, or 43.5%, had total cholesterol levels that were in the high risk category, at 200 mg/dl or greater.
• The city with the highest recorded levels of cholesterol was Atlanta; the two cities with the lowest recorded cholesterol levels were Tampa and Miami.
• 55.6% of attendees had a recorded body mass index that fell within the overweight or obese guidelines. These are primary risk factors for many chronic health conditions.
• Sister to Sister made 1,305 medical referrals to hospitals or health care providers for participants that had one or more risk factors for heart disease.
• There were 546 medical referrals made based on cholesterol numbers alone.
• The most referrals were made at the Washington D.C. fair... 226 referrals in a five hour time period!!

Sister to Sister gives its heartfelt thanks to all of the women who got screened at our heart health fairs. Your efforts to take charge of your health will lead us into a healthier nation of grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters and friends!