Heart Month events will urge awareness

This murderer does not creep up behind you, or crawl through windows at night. It can be sudden or slow, but heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular illnesses kill more than 945,000 people in the U.S. every year.

And, ladies, heart disease is more deadly for women than it is for men.

With all of the attention given to breast cancer, you may not realize that heart disease is six times more deadly than breast cancer.

Yuba-Sutter medical groups are bringing attention to the nation's most effective killer by holding several events throughout February - Heart Health Month.

Health advocates have effectively crafted connections among breast-cancer awareness, the month of October and the color pink. Now they working on a new theme: associating heart-health awareness with February and red. American women have been inspired to inspect their breasts for signs of cancer; now it is time to take care of what is behind them.

On Feb. 18, Fremont-Rideout Health Group will host a panel of heart professionals at the Heart Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fremont-Rideout Conference Center, 989 Plumas Street, Yuba City. There will be health screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body fat.

The Fremont-Rideout Foundation will engage in an effort to raise money at the event for a new library at The Heart Center for patients and their families.

But many heart month events will come before the fair.