Wear Red Day raises women’s heart health awareness

Women wear red in honor of National Wear Red Day. (Image Courtesy of American Heart Association)Women wear red in honor of National Wear Red Day. (Image Courtesy of American Heart Association)

Expect to see a lot of red shirts, dresses, sweaters and skirts on Friday.

Go Red For Women, an initiative from the American Heart Association (AHA), is raising awareness for heart health among women by hosting its annual National Wear Red Day Friday, Feb. 3.

According to the AHA, one woman dies from cardiovascular disease every 80 seconds in the United States. National Wear Red Day was created to draw attention to women’s heart health and to bring in donations for Go Red For Women, which offers educational programs and conducts research about women’s cardiovascular health.

The AHA says 80 percent of cardiac events may be prevented through education and lifestyle changes. Go Red for Women encourages women to take control of their heart health with a Go Red approach:

G: Get your numbers. Visit your doctor and ask them for your blood pressure and cholesterol. 

O: Own your lifestyle. The AHA recommends women stop smoking, lose weight, exercise and eat healthy.

R: Realize your risk. Talk to your doctor about what your personal risk for cardiovascular disease is.

E: Educate your family. Try to get the people you love to start making healthier choices alongside you.

D: Don’t be silent. Raise awareness for cardiovascular disease among women by letting them women in your life know what a threat it is.