A Red Sari Evening raises heart disease awareness

Nearly 350 people attended the third annual A Red Sari Evening Saturday, March 12, at Macy's on State Street in downtown Chicago. Hosted by the South Asian Cardiovascular Center at the Advocate Heart Institute, A Red Sari Evening is intended to raise awareness of the prevalence of heart disease in the South Asian community.

The 2016 Honorary Chair of the event was Abhi Dhar, chief information officer of Walgreens, and for the third year the emcee was Ravi Baichwal, from ABC 7. The event concluded with a fashion show provided by Sahil.

"Our goal with A Red Sari Evening is to raise awareness that South Asians in Chicago and around the country about a huge threat to their well-being - heart disease, "says Dr. Shoeb Sitafalwalla, medical director of the South Asian Cardiovascular Center at Advocate Heart Institute.

"Our message is simple - we can do something about it through partnerships, dialogue, and awareness. We all have a role to play in this movement from faith based communities to large corporations."

Studies have shown that South Asians have a four times greater risk of developing heart disease when compared to others. Nearly one-third of cardiac-related deaths occur under the age of 65, and while South Asians only account for 20 percent of the global population, they bear 60 percent of world's heart disease burden.

In fact, while we know more women die of heart disease than all cancers combined, South Asian women die at a rate 50 percent greater rate than any other ethnic community.

Among the dignitaries at the event were Dr. Ausuf Sayeed, Consul General of India, Illinois State Senators Matt Murphy and Julie Morrison, Illinois State Representatives Mike McAuliffe, David Harris, Michelle Mussman, Dr. Nirav Shah, director for the Illinois Department of Public Health, Dr. Julie Morita, commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health, and Hardik Bhatt, chief information officer for the State of Illinois.

This year's sponsors for A Red Sari Evening were Wintrust Community Banks, The Men and Women's Association of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and Advocate Children's Hospital-Park Ridge, Ambreen Qureshi, administrator, Niles Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Advanced Rehabilitation Care and Family of Benoy K. Samanta.

Proceeds from the event will go to the South Asian Cardiovascular Center, which is the first center of its kind in the Midwest to uniquely serve the needs of the South Asian community. Besides providing culturally sensitive clinical care, the center's staff has been reaching out into neighborhoods, businesses and faith communities to educate and screen for heart disease.

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