Laboratory to host panel discussion on heart disease Feb. 24

Contact: Steve Sandoval, (505) 665-9206 (00-020)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Feb. 22, 2000 -- Heart disease prevention, risk factors and symptoms are some of the subjects that will be discussed during a panel discussion on Thursday, Feb. 24 in the Materials Science Laboratory Auditorium at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The Women's Diversity Working Group and the Laboratory's Positive Health Directions program are sponsoring the panel discussion, which is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The panel discussion is free and open to the public.

Panelists also will talk about typical and atypical symptoms of heart disease, treatment options and rehabilitation. The audience will hear stories from several Laboratory employees who have dealt with heart disease. In addition, there will be hand out information on heart disease. Staff from Los Alamos' Occupational Medicine Group will conduct free blood pressure checks, and check home equipment against calibrated equipment from Occupational Medicine in the lobby of the MSL auditorium before and after the panel discussion. Light refreshments will be served.

The panel discussion is dedicated to the memory of former Laboratory employee Louisa Lujan-Pacheco who died last summer and in conjunction with American Heart Month in February, said Ruth Holt of the Laboratory's Communication Arts and Services Group and a member of the Women's Diversity Working Group. Holt will moderate the panel discussion.

"Heart attacks kill more females than stroke, lung cancer, and breast cancer combined," said Holt. "Also, the members of the WDWG were saddened by the recent loss of one of our members, Louisa Lujan-Pacheco, who died of an undiagnosed heart condition while training for a marathon.

"We have been looking for ways to honor her memory and her many contributions to our group."

Panelists include cardiologist Dr. Anthony Sandoval; Dr. Keeley Powers, a doctor of internal medicine; Barbara Blair, exercise physiologist with Los Alamos Medical Center; Marta Gentry Munger, a registered dietician, and Lezlie Morris, a registered nurse, both with Los Alamos' Occupational Medicine Group.

Also on the panel are several Los Alamos employees who are heart disease survivors: Carol Algire of Los Alamos' Pit Manufacturing Project Office, Ruth Barks of Communication Arts and Services Group and Terry Phillips of the Energy and Process Engineering Group.

More information on the panel discussion can be found at http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/dvo/wdwg/2000heart.html online.

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