Ladies Night Out educates locals on heart disease

In support of Heart Month, Banner Churchill Community Hospital held its free, annual Ladies Night Out on Thursday, to educate the public on cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one leading cause of death in Nevada and the country.

This year’s guest speaker, James Verrees, M.D. and obstetrician/gynecologist, recently transitioned to Banner Health in Fallon after serving at Elko and Las Vegas hospitals.

He presented an educational seminar about heart disease, as it’s the leading cause of death in women, according to the Center for Disease Control.

He also presented data about heart disease for Churchill County between 2000-2008: a 25 percent mortality rate from the disease.

“Although it isn’t recent data, people still need to be informed,” Verrees said. “It’s important to know when to recognize it.”

According to the 2017 Nevada Rural and Frontier Health Data report, conducted by the University of Nevada, Reno, Churchill County’s mortality rate for heart disease dropped 17.8 percent. Rates declined in other rural Nevada counties by 2014. With that, the American Heart Association released new blood pressure guidelines for this year, lowering the definition of hypertension.

It used to be 140/90 but the organization lowered it to 130/80. Verrees said with this new way of identifying blood pressure, 46 percent of the population is going to be diagnosed with new blood pressure. The three and half hour event also filled the hospital lobby with make-up, accessories, jewelery, bags, local clubs, raffles, a massage therapist, and health experts.