2014 Annual Community Luncheon
Ludeman Center Oct 8, 2014Noel Bairey Merz, MD, Director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, captivated attendees as the keynote speaker at the 2014 Annual Community Luncheon on October 8th. A cardiologist and leader in the field of women’s heart disease, Dr. Bairey Merz explained how and why heart disease presents differently in women and men, and why treatment of heart disease differs between the sexes. She also gave attendees hands-on tips for reducing the risk of heart disease.
In 1984, heart disease began killing more women than men, and became a new epidemic for females. Heart disease remains the #1 killer of women at all ages. One explanation is that cardiologists often look for male patterned heart disease in which plaque in the arteries deposits and accumulates and throws off large clots that cause heart attacks. In female patterned heart disease, the plaque erodes more slowly. The erosion is harder to see on an angiogram, but just as deadly.
Heart disease is a largely preventable disease. Dr. Bairey Merz underscored the importance of adhering to these 5 healthful lifestyle habits:
- Mediterranean Nutrition
- Non-smoking
- Non-obese
- At least 30 minutes of walking/exercise per day
- One serving of alcohol per day (more than 2 servings per day increases risk)
Adhering to all healthful habits is associated with an 82% lower risk of heart disease, but only 10% of the population follow these habits.
The Center for Women’s Health Research is extremely grateful to our individual, corporate, and foundation sponsors whose generous support funds the programs and research at the CWHR.
Keynote Dr. Noel Bairey Merz
Dr. Bairey Merz's research interests include women and heart disease, mental stress and heart disease, the role of exercise and stress management in reversing disease, and the role of nutrition in heart disease.
Currently, she is chair of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored WISE (Women's Ischemic Syndrome Evaluation) initiative.Dr. Bairey Merz has received investigational grants from theNIH-National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH- National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine (NCCAM), the Pfeiffer Foundation, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, The Barbra Streisand Foundation, and the Women's Guild.
A prolific lecturer, Dr. Bairey Merz, is a member of many professional organizations and served on the Board ofTrustees of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), as well as the American Heart Association where she is past Chair of the Women in Cardiology Committee. Other professional associations include membership in the Association of University Cardiologists (AUC), the American Association of Physicians (AAP), the National Space Biomedical Research Institute Board of Scientific Counselors, and the National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel IV. She serves on the advisory boards of lay organizations, including Women Heart and Sister-to-Sister.
Dr. Bairey Merz received her bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and her medical degree from Harvard University. She completed her residency at the University of California, San Francisco, where she served as Chief Medical Resident. Dr. Bairey Merz also completed fellowships in clinical cardiology and nuclear cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.