Dr. Shoeb Sitafalwalla: A Red Sari Evening raises heart disease awareness among South Asian community

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.

Source: Daily Herald