During the past couple years, you may have noticed red dress pins being worn by women across the country. Maybe you also noticed the red dresses printed on some food labels in your local grocery store. This red dress has become the national symbol for heart disease awareness in women. On February 6, National Wear Red Day, wear red and encourage those around you to talk about heart disease—the number one cause of death for women in the U.S.
If a person has heart disease, they are at a greater risk for a heart attack. According to The American Heart Association, although women often have common warning signs of a heart attack, they can also experience symptoms that are lesser known—such as shortness of breath, and back or jaw pain. Through their The Heart Truth campaign, The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has a guide to help women learn more about risk factors and warning signs. They also provide materials to help promote National Wear Red Day at your office or in your community. It is important to not only talk about heart disease on February 6th, but throughout the whole year. Know your risk factors, and share what you have learned with as many women as possible. Take the Alliance’s heart health quiz and learn tips on talking to your health care provider about this disease. Lower your risk—heart disease does not have to stay number one.
This post was written by Valerie Hagan, former Health Programs Coordinator at the Alliance.
