Toni Braxton on Women and Heart Disease
Feb. 23, 2005 -- -- Pop music diva Toni Braxton never thought she would be at risk for heart disease. But when she couldn't shake chronic chest pains during her performance in the Broadway play "Aida" two years ago, the Grammy Award-winning performer discovered she was in real danger.
"In the middle of the show, the producer said, 'take her to the emergency room.' I go to the emergency room, they do a EKG, and find out that I have something called pericarditis," Braxton said.
Pericarditis is a disorder caused by inflammation of the pericardium -- the sac-like covering of the heart. The condition causes chest pain and other signs and symptoms, which can develop suddenly. Treatment for severe cases often includes medications and surgery.
Braxton's experience has driven the entertainer to join the American Heart Association in its effort to educate woman about heart disease.
As a spokeswoman for the association's "Go Red" program, Braxton told ABC News' "Good Morning America" that she wants women to realize what she did not -- that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women.
Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, claims more women's lives than the next seven causes of death combined, according to the AHA. Nearly 500,000 women lose their lives each year from heart-related illnesses.
Braxton encourages women to "educate yourself and others and get yourself checked." The entertainer also says women should wear a lot of red, as a reminder of the health dangers they can face. "Let that be a symbol to remind you to take care of yourself," she said.
These days, when she's not educating women about heart disease, Braxton, 37, is working on a new CD and taking care of her two sons and husband, musician Keri Lewis.
You can find out more about Braxton's role in education women about heart disease at www.americanheart.org.
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