Mega Events in September, Including Chicago Event This Sat./Sun., Allow Heart Health Campaign to Reach Tens of Thousands of Hispanics During Cholesterol Aware...( CHICAGO Sept. 12 -- A series of ...),Health

CHICAGO, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A series of mega events in Hispanic communities around the country will showcase the 2007 Heart Health Campaign during September, Cholesterol Awareness Month. The next major Heart Health event in Chicago will be this Saturday and Sunday, September 15-16 between 12:00 and 6:00 pm. The Festival de la Villita will feature this urgent Cholesterol Screening program, which will take place at the Health Supersite at 26th and Kostner in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago.

The National Alliance for Hispanic Health is in the midst of its 2007 Heart Health Campaign which is bringing life-saving health education information and cholesterol screenings to communities across the nation with a particular focus on four major cities: Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; New York, New York; and Houston, Texas. More than 1,000 people have already had their cholesterol screened and prominent elected officials have participated in screening events, helping to bring the message to their communities.

Thousands of people will participate in Hispanic community events this month where a team of health professionals will be on-hand to provide important information about heart health and provide thousands of free cholesterol screenings on-location.

Community Urgency

According to studies published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hispanics are the group least likely to have been screened for high cholesterol, with between one-third and one-half of all Hispanics not screened within the past 5 years. Of those found to have high cholesterol in clinical research, only half were aware they had high cholesterol. High cholesterol does not have physical symptoms, a fact that makes this campaign's public education and screening events so important.

"The free cholesterol screenings we have brought to communities have saved lives," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Allia
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