LEWISTON – “The Beat Goes On! Understanding Heart Disease and Menopause” will be the topic of discussion at the Wednesday, March 8, meeting of Red Hot Mamas, a nationwide support group dedicated to menopause management education.

Anne Fereday, director of cardiovascular services at the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute, will discuss the high incidence of heart disease among women, post menopausal women, in particular.

“Cardiovascular disease kills a half million women in the United States each year – 10 times more than die from breast cancer. Postmenopausal women are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as perimenopausal women, and mortality rates increase with age. Heart disease is no longer a male disease,” Fereday said.

Fereday earned her nursing degree in 1973 and has been in cardiology since 1984. Her clinical experience includes works as a cardiac care nurse and manager of the cardiac service line at Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y.

She joined the management staff at the heart institute in 2004. She holds a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management and is a healthcare management doctoral candidate.

The Red Hot Mamas is a nationwide support group dedicated to menopause management education. The group provides medical information and peer support to women, men and family members dealing with the physical and psychological impact of menopause, which usually affects women age 40 and beyond.

Its mission is to empower women to be educated healthcare consumers and manage their menopause. The group was founded in 1991 and has become the largest program of its type in the United States.

All women, their partners and family members are welcome to participate in the March 8 meeting which will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Chairmen’s Rooms on the lower level of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building. For more information or to register for the presentation, phone Dee Forgues at 795-2633.