Bradley M.A.P.S. hosts Dr. Zita Erbowor-Becksen
Dr. Erbowor-Becksen talks to students about heart health, in honor of American Heart Month.
When it comes to health, college students are typically focused on three things: sleep, diet and exercise. But, should heart health also be a priority for students?
The Multicultural Association of Pre-health Students held a seminar in Bradley Hall on Wednesday to discuss the importance of heart health.
Citlalli Urzua, president of M.A.P.S., organized this event in hopes of “finding stuff about heart awareness especially since it is heart awareness month. So, we wanted to promote it on campus.”
Dr. Zita Erbowor-Becksen is doing her residency in the Peoria area and focuses on internal medicine and pediatrics.
“I grew up in Ghana, my extended family still lives there and my immediate family lives here, I saw the significant differences in health care and health outcomes there vs here and because of that i’ve always had a desire to want to improve that in anyway possible,” Dr. Erbowor-Becksen said.
A deeper dive
Did you know, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States?
“The number of young people, anyone less than the age of 40, that are affected by heart disease increases each year by about 2%,” a troubling statistic from Dr. Erbowor-Becksen.
A wide range of things can be considered risk factors, when it comes to heart disease. Most prominently, high blood pressure, diabetes, tobacco use, high cholesterol, diet, stress levels and obesity.
Where to go from here
There are a variety of warning signs that can help you be on the look out for heart disease. Those include chest pain with exercise, fatigue and sweating, arm pain and jaw pain, nausea and vomiting.
In addition to warning signs, there are also a wide range of things that can decrease risk factors. Tasks such as exercising 150 minutes a week, avoiding smoking and vaping and keeping a healthy diet.
“Tonight I learned more about heart disease and coronary artery disease, and I learned about the myths surrounding each of them,” Urzua said.