PUBLISHED IN ,

Join a Heart Disease Support Group for Women

Employees at risk or with heart disease are invited to a free monthly group

Volunteers with the Duke Heart Center wear red to promote heart health for women. The Duke Heart Center helps organize a monthly support group for women who have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease. Photo courtesy of the Duke Heart Center
Volunteers with the Duke Heart Center wear red to promote heart health for women. The Duke Heart Center helps organize a monthly support group for women who have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease. Photo courtesy of the Duke Heart Center

Tesca Kinard’s heart stopped seven times before she received a heart transplant.

Since age 29, Kinard lived with dilated cardiomyopathy, an abnormal heart muscle that affects the pumping and delivery of blood to the rest of the body. Over the years, she temporarily ended up in a wheelchair. She couldn’t exercise. She suffered seven cardiac arrests, including one on the day of her youngest daughter’s senior prom.

But a heart transplant in June of 2013 changed everything. Now, at 51, Kinard is exercising, sticking to a low-sodium diet and leading a monthly Duke WomenHeart Support Group, which is free and open to Duke employees and the public.

“We’re providing education and support and letting other women know that they’re not in this alone,” said Kinard, a former Duke Cardiology administrative assistant. “We’re giving them the chance to express their feelings about how they’re going through it and dealing with their heart episodes.”

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women, causing one in three deaths each year, according to the American Heart Association. Kinard and the Duke Heart Center are hoping to change that by bringing together women in the Triangle who have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease, and talk about symptoms, treatment, healthy lifestyles and work-life balance.

The Duke WomenHeart Support Group meets on the second Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Teer House in Durham. Individuals who are interested in joining must register here. The next meeting is September 8.

The support group is a partnership between Duke and the nonprofit WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. Recent meeting topics include how heart attack warning signs differ between men and women, heart health benefits of a vegan diet, and a discussion with a pharmacist about heart medications.

Women also have the chance to make connections with other women experiencing similar health issues, said Leatrice Martin, director of the Duke Heart Center’s Community Outreach and Education Program.

“Imagine juggling children, a family, a career and heart disease,” Martin said. “Women are able to get support from women who have experienced things that they have.”

For more information about the support group, call Martin at (919) 477-7611.

Upcoming Duke Heart Center Events:

Oct. 2
Join or create a Duke team that will participate in the 2016 Triangle Heart Walk. Festivities will begin at 12:30 p.m. and the walk starts at 2 p.m. at the PNC Arena in Raleigh.

Oct. 13
The Duke WomenHeart Support Group meets from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Teer House in Durham.

Nov. 5
“Wrap Her Heart in Red” will bring together heart disease survivors and caregivers in downtown Durham. The free event will be held at 21c Museum Hotel Durham from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and include a health fair with blood pressure and body mass index screenings, a luncheon with heart disease survivor testimonials, and more. Contact the Duke Heart Center at (919) 477-7611 if interested in attending.