♪ - From NJ PBS studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Brianna Vannozzi.

- Hello, and thanks for joining us tonight.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

Coming up, heart disease is the number one killer of women, but many don't know their risk.

What you can do now to protect your heart.

Plus, a look back at a story about the next frontier in marriage equality.

Why one New Jersey woman with disabilities decided to speak out.

But first, Congresswoman Annalilia Mejia joins us to discuss the race between her and Republican Joe Hathaway in the 11th District.

That's next.

Major funding for NJ Spotlight News is provided in part by NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Well, Democratic Congresswoman Annalilia Mejia is back on the ballot this midterm.

After securing her seat in an April special election, she's asking voters to give her a full term and defending, and albeit short, congressional record of her own.

Mejia is facing a rematch with Republican Joe Hathaway in the state's 11th district, where healthcare, affordability, immigration is all part of the debate.

For a deeper look, Congresswoman Mejia joins us now.

Congresswoman, it's great to have you on the show.

You've been in your seat now for about five months, but you've been campaigning for the better part of a year, really.

What should voters be looking at as they decide whether to give you a full term?

Oh, well, first, thank you for having me on.

I'd actually like to start from what representatives should be looking at in response to what voters are saying loud and clear.

As you said, I've been knocking on doors, talking to people for over a year about our government, how it's clear that our democracy is under threat, that we have our government is pretty much rigged for the wealthy and well-connected.

And as a result, our economy is leaving middle class, working class families behind.

I've been in every conversation I have, people are concerned about the fact that healthcare is three times as much as it used to be just a couple years ago.

People are concerned about their energy costs, their food costs, their grocery costs, just the daily living.

And even though many of my constituents, many voters report that they may have gotten raises or their jobs have held steady because of inflation and because of policies of this administration, like these insane tariffs, for example, or this illegal war, the cost of living has gone up, even though people's income has stayed steady.

And this, in the long run, is very detrimental to all of our families.

And so what I say to my voters, to my constituents, to the people of New Jersey's 11th and the people of New Jersey across the board is elect representatives who are more connected, more focused on your well-being, on unrigging this economy, on having transparency and integrity rebuilt into our democracy instead of electing those who dance for the big corporate lobbyists.

Your opponent Joe Hathaway has repeatedly you as an ideological activist who's too far left for the district.

We had him on the show yesterday.

He criticized your approach to immigration enforcement in particular.

Do you think your positions land where voters in the district are?

I have to tell you that what is ridiculous, what is out of step with New Jersey voters is to continue to align yourself with a president who is willing to threaten the Constitution, that is offering $5,000 signing bonuses to anyone that is willing to vote for this administration and for the GOP, despite the fact that their policies are making us less safe.

When you look at our immigration system, there is no New Jerseyan I've spoken to that is content with the chaos.

No one is content with the idea that our own government is turning its weapons on the American people.

And yes, while we need to fight to ensure that we protect our borders and that we have a common sense immigration reform, the solution that Donald Trump and Republicans like my opponent have put forward just simply do not work.

You have far too many communities felt under siege.

We're arresting grandmas and gardeners and not the worst of the worst.

And when I look at the conditions at Delaney Hall, I cannot help but notice what is happening.

We have an administration that is detaining people at court appointments, at jobs, people who have work permits, who are following the law.

We're putting them in prison-like conditions, and then those conditions are costing people their lives.

And Americans are concerned because if our government can do that to one set of people, then our government can do it to all.

We have to protect due process.

We have to have the rule of law, and we cannot proceed in a way that is so chaotic, destructive, and deadly.

Let me ask you about Delaney Hall.

You were there for an oversight visit on September 9th.

What have the oversight visits produced?

What did you see that you can share?

Or did you not see that you wanted to, that you can share?

Well, repeatedly, every single time I've gone into Delaney Hall, I encounter yet another person with either a chronic health condition.

I encountered yet another pregnant woman who wasn't getting the kind of prenatal care that she needed.

I keep meeting individuals who have are in conditions that are frankly so devastating, so deplorable that it leaves me shaken every single time.

I've met people who had recent surgeries that weren't getting the kind of proactive care that their their surgery that their medical conditions required.

I met individuals without teeth who are living off of shake supplements in order to to be able to survive their time under U.S.

custody.

And again, here's the thing the American people need to understand.

You have in in the United States, every single individual has the right to due process and equal protection.

Our Constitution says that there has to be a process in which we defend ourselves and protect ourselves against the overreach of our laws and of our government.

And due process and equal protection is not only being denied of individuals, but again, the medical conditions are such that people with chronic health conditions are essentially put in situations that could cost them their lives.

And again, I believe that the American people, that New Jerseyans, what we want is common sense reform.

We don't want chaos in our streets.

We don't want to arrest grandmas and gardeners.

We are very interested in ensuring that we increase safety in our streets and our communities, but the actions of ICE and this administration run counter to that and put us all at very, at much risk.

You, obviously immigration has been at the center of what you've worked on.

Healthcare, Medicaid.

You also were involved in some specific Army Corps projects and legislation surrounding disaster assistance information.

What do you plan to make your priority?

If you do retain the seat, where are you going to put your focus?

Look, my focus is helping middle class, working class people across New Jersey's 11th have better lives.

So when it comes to flooding across the state of New Jersey, I've fought hard to include projects that impact this district so that we can bring resources home and mitigate the impact that climate change and flooding disasters are having on New Jersey 11 residents.

I'm fighting to ensure that veterans have the protections, have the benefits that they deserve.

I'm fighting to ensure that we invest in at Picatinny to ensure that we're not only generating jobs in New Jersey's 11th, but that we are helping defend the our entire nation.

I'm fighting to ensure that elder care, that the elderly, that caregivers have the resources that they need, that parents have access to affordable child care, that young people have the opportunity to gain an education without getting into catastrophic debt.

I'm fighting to ensure that affordable housing is built across this country and including New Jersey's 11th.

And more importantly, I'm fighting to restore the integrity of our government.

The bottom line for me is I'm looking for equality of opportunity, equality and opportunity and access to health care, education, fairness before our laws.

Congresswoman Mejia, thank you for your time.

Good to talk to you.

Thank you.

If you're a female, there's one health condition that poses a greater threat to you than all the others, and most people have no idea.

Heart disease is actually the number one killer of women in the U.S., and it's responsible for one in every five female deaths here.

So what should you be doing to protect your heart health?

Dr.

Brett Selove is the chair of cardiology at Jersey Medical Center and he joined Joanna Gaggis to share some practical tips for all of us.

Dr.

Selove, great to have you back on the show.

We're talking about heart health today.

What is the most common form of heart disease?

- Yeah, well, heart disease comes in a lot of different flavors, unfortunately, but the number one item when people talk about heart disease is usually talking about coronary artery disease, which is blockages in the arteries of their heart.

It is known as the number one killer in the Western world, and that drives most of the conversation about coronary artery disease.

But there are many, many other things within the cardiovascular arena that people really should be aware of.

Okay, we're going to get into those statistics, but talk us through some of the others that people should know about.

Well, the heart, as I tell all my patients, is actually relatively simple when you break it down, right?

There's plumbing, there's electric, and there's structure, like a general contractor, right?

There's walls, there are doors.

So the different disease states around cardiology and you relate to those problems.

There's electrical problems, there's valvular problems, there's heart muscle problems.

And as I mentioned earlier, there's coronary disease or plumbing problems.

Those are the big, big buckets.

- Okay, I wanna get into some of the stats.

In particular, when we look at women, it's really amazing to think that heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined.

Why is heart disease so deadly for women?

How does it present differently than it does for men?

- Yeah, great question.

First and foremost, I will tell you, we're not 100% sure of the answer of why.

For decades, we've been trying to explore this.

There are subtleties that are probably way beyond the scope of this conversation, but the reality is more women present with non-typical symptoms.

Now, that doesn't mean that women cannot have crushing chest pain down their arms, sweaty, nauseous, the classic symptoms.

But more often than not, more than men, they can present with funny symptoms that seem out of the ordinary, profound sweatiness, exertional breathlessness, even some severe indigestion.

And my advice is if something feels like you have something you've never experienced before, you know your body better than anybody else, and you need to really seek medical attention.

It is not to be ignored.

It's not worth the risk of ignoring it.

>> We could probably have a whole 'nother conversation about how women are not always believed in healthcare settings, right?

I'm sure you can speak to that as well.

But yes, advocate for yourself in those situations.

I want to talk about hormonal changes and how, especially as women are approaching or going through or even past menopause, how this changes their risks for heart disease.

Yeah.

You know, menopause is what I call a cardiovascular checkpoint.

That is not a cause of alarm.

That's not to scare women, but it should give people the pause that life and risks are potentially going to change as it relates to their heart risk.

Now, many women understand that.

They may gain weight.

They may have poor sleep.

They may have, you know, warm episodes.

What it really should signal is I need to seek medical attention because other things may be happening behind the scenes that I'm not aware of.

Inflammation, insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure, change in your cholesterol.

There's a whole slew of things that happen inside your body with the cessation of estrogen.

And women really need to be aware of it.

Because when you lose your native estrogen, the cardiovascular risks begin to increase in women.

- Okay, so what does regular heart health look like in terms of checkups?

Let's start with the checkups.

Let's start with when you should start assessing your own heart health.

- Yeah, I love these questions.

Because the answer is, you know, granted I'm a biased source, but the answer is there's no too early of an age to seek medical attention.

What we know about this disease is, this begins to happen in your 20s and 30s and 40s.

You have one engine in your body, and you really need to be very, very proactive in trying to prevent something before it occurs.

So I would tell people, even before menopause, to plant the seed for the future is a very good idea.

Know your risks, know your numbers, know some of your family history, know even some of your reproductive or premenopausal risk.

You know, what we've learned about women and their cardiovascular risk, even their age of having their first menses is very important.

Or even pregnancy-induced complications, preeclampsia, blood pressure-related elevation or sugar-related elevation due to pregnancy.

These are all known precursors to cardiovascular risk as a woman gets older, even decades, decades later.

Just to be really clear, are you saying then that some of this is hereditary?

I am definitely telling you that some of this is hereditary.

And unfortunately for your viewers, you really need to understand that this is very, very individualistic.

I don't want to, again, cause any concern, but we all need to be concerned.

I'm concerned about my own health, my family health, my friends' health, because it is the number one killer for men and women out there.

And the cardiovascular risks vary, and there are dramatic genetic implications.

And you really need to sit down with your health care provider and look under the hood of the car and know what your individual risks are and how you are set up for the future.

OK.

When we talk about good heart health, what should folks do if they want to just maintain good heart health through their life?

And then we're going to get into what if you need to maybe lose some weight or get healthier.

But let's start with just good habits, good practices.

Yeah, you know, they're not the sexy, cool thing you see maybe influencers talking about, but the reality is, is that 70 to 80 percent of heart disease is actually preventable.

It's just not easy to do, especially in our society.

You know, by far and away, the thing to think about is just continue to move.

That doesn't mean you need to run marathons or half marathons or be an ultra distance runner.

It just means that getting up and going, not being stagnant, every few hours going for a walk.

Activity is a huge part of heart health, but also I would argue that it's also important for mental health, bone health, etc.

But it's blood pressure, cholesterol, sugar, weight, exercise, smoking cessation, you know, those are the foundation.

Those are the pillars of heart health that we need to continue to work on.

Okay, I'm going to throw you a quick curveball with just a few seconds left.

GLP1s, if someone needs to lose weight, do you recommend that for heart health?

You know, the data is overwhelmingly beneficial as it relates to somebody's heart, especially if they have known existing heart disease.

But again, throw a curveball right at you.

It really is dependent on the individual, but I'm not against it if it is necessary, if the benefits far outweigh that risk.

And always seek advice from your medical professional, right?

Dr.

Brent Seelow.

We've got to leave it there.

Chair of Cardiology at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Thank you.

Great advice.

Thank you so much.

Tonight, we're taking a look back at another one of our favorite interviews.

When two New Jersey residents starred in a Hulu documentary, raising awareness about the next frontier of marriage equality.

Patrice, the movie tells the story of Patrice Jeter and Gary Wickham, a loving couple who also happen to be disabled.

They desperately wanted to get married, but doing so, or even just living together would have meant losing their disability benefits, the very lifeline that enables them to survive.

It's a beautifully told story that gets at the heart of one of the many injustices people with disabilities face in our society.

I spoke with them back in 2024.

It's really an honor to get to talk to you both.

This film is so incredibly beautifully told.

Patrice, you meet the love of your life, Gary.

You really chronicle what it takes for you to get your home, your job, to find this love, and then you're not able to get legally married.

Why?

Because the way the laws are written, and I get, um, Social Security and Medicaid and Medicare, that if I were to get legally married, my benefits would be cut.

And I'm already struggling having to live on a fixed income.

Even though I work two jobs, I'm restricted from the amount of money that I'm allowed to make.

And now I meet the love of my life, and we want to, like, spend the rest of our lives together, and you get hit with another burden if you lose your benefits, 'cause I wouldn't be able to afford my medicines or anything.

It's a very fragile way to live.

Um, I mean, not only can you not get married, you also can't even live together, right?

Or let it appear like you live together?

Right, because they can still, um, consider it like under, like holding out and they could still cut your benefits.

And yet what I love, Ted, about the way this documentary shines through and Patrice, obviously this is a testament to you, that you tell this story still with this positive spirit and Ted, you went to really great lengths to make sure that you shed light on the fact that we're living in a system and an infrastructure that has barriers and is not created with disabled folks in mind.

Why was it so important for you to film this documentary in that way and to tell Patrice's story.

Yeah that's 100 percent true.

This the system we live in it was not set up for disabled people.

And and telling the story was just crucial because 25 percent of our country is disabled.

And so there's a lot of people who are just left out of our system the way it's set up.

And you know that we told the story the way we did with the tone that we did primarily because of Patrice and just following her lead.

You know Patrice has a tendency to you know she'll be able to tell you a story about something that could be really dark or difficult and she will always find a way to interject humor and joy no matter what she's no matter how serious the topic no matter what she's telling you.

And so we really wanted to make sure that the film had her voice and her style as much as possible.

And so we were really just following her example.

Patrice was it nerve wracking to share this much of your life now with the world and of your personal life?

Because there's some really poignant moments like when you and your friend are sifting through to find aluminum cans to try to get some money together so that you can pay for repairs on your wheelchair accessible van.

I mean, we see so much of your life in this.

Why was it important for you to allow the cameras to see all of it?

Because I wanted people to see how real people with disabilities have to struggle.

Because a lot of folks still don't understand what disabled people go through on a daily basis.

Or they think that there's something that you could be doing, but you're not putting the effort into it.

Yeah, and it's clear that both you and Gary, your boyfriend, are putting a ton of effort into it.

Was there, Ted, an outcome or a goal that you had in mind?

I know we've seen some responses from the Social Security Administration already that, you know, it's really up to Congress to change these rules.

But what was your intent going into this?

Well, at the very least, we just wanted to shine a light on just the systemic failings that disabled people in this country have to battle against every single day and just about every aspect of their lives.

But we also just really are hopeful that if we can bring attention to these issues, that change can happen.

Because a lot of the advocates who've been working on these issues for many years and trying to change the laws keep telling us that the biggest barrier they run into is just simply, it's not a priority.

Marriage equality for the disabled is not a priority.

Raising asset limits for disabled people is not a priority.

But there is legislation that has been written and has been sitting around and just waiting for a vote.

And so if we can use this story and this platform to just get the conversation out there and bring attention to this issue, we're really hopeful that change can actually happen and happen soon.

Yeah, because Patrice, it's not even just that your benefits would be cut if you get married.

You also have limits just on how much you can keep in your bank account to just a couple thousand dollars.

You can't have your wedding.

And so you go to have a commitment ceremony.

As I mentioned your van breaks down and now you can't even have that.

It's like insult to injury.

It's so maddening to watch as a viewer.

I mean, take me through what that felt like in that moment, because you didn't give up despite all that.

I know that at that time for me, it was very overwhelming and depressing.

And even to get a newer used accessible van, they go for as much as $50,000, $65,000.

I've seen a brand new one for as much as $82,000.

And people with disabilities don't have that kind of money to pay for things like this.

Well, it's medical equipment.

Yeah, but that's not the point.

And I don't know what they expect people like me to do when we're restricted from what we're allowed to have.

Well, I'll clarify.

People with disabilities, the government doesn't allow them to have that type of money.

Patrice, is there a message that you want folks to know as they watch this documentary, and I know that they will?

I want folks to watch the movie and find out who your legislators are and write a letter to get them to repeal the marriage penalty and to raise the asset limit to help people like myself be able to gain the level of independence that we need so that also with the assets limits being the way they are, you still have to rely on fundraising and family members to help you.

And a lot of us, we just, we don't want a handout.

We just want a helping hand.

- Well, Tree Steader, Ted Passon, thank you so much.

Your star is shining, your friendship, of course, of 20 years seems only stronger now.

So thanks so much for sharing this beautiful work with us.

- You're welcome.

- Thank you so much for having us.

- That's going to do it for us tonight.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

For the entire team at NJ Spotlight News, thanks for being with us.

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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