National Wear Red Day Raises Awareness of Heart Disease in Women

The first Friday of February is dedicated to National Wear Red Day, where everyone across the world wears a red article of clothing or accessory to support and spread awareness for heart disease and stroke.

History of Go Red for Women

National Wear Red Day began in 2004 and is supported by the American Heart Association. The national campaign focuses on raising awareness for women’s heart disease and stroke risks. Did you know that cardiovascular disease causes 1 in 3 deaths in women each year, making it the top health related killer in women? But, with the help of proper awareness, education, research, and resources, roughly 87% of all heart issues can be preventable!

On the first Friday of every February, people gather around and wear their favorite red piece to show support for those affected by cardiovascular disease and spread awareness so that others can take preventable actions.

Why Is the Focus on Women?

Throughout history, men have been the main focus when talking about heart disease and heart attack. They have been the subject of research to understand cardiovascular diseases as well as potential treatment options. Go Red for Women is made to support this under-represented population in order to raise awareness of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

According to the American Heart Association, only 55% of women know that heart disease is the number 1 killer and even fewer know what levels for cardiovascular risk factors (1) are considered healthy. This campaign is dedicated to making sure women around the nation know they are at risk and what actions to take to protect their heart health.

How Has Go Red for Women Impacted Women Across the Nation?

Since the launch of the campaign, more than 2 million women have learned more about their personal risks related to heart disease from the Go Red Heart CheckUp service. This is an educational program dedicated to teaching women about the risk factors associated with heart disease and providing tools and motivation to take action towards preventable measures.

Around 91% of women involved in the movement have visited their doctor in the past year and around 84% of women have discussed the importance of heart health with their friends and peers. More than 900,000 women have joined the fight to not only help themselves, but others as well! Join the movement this Friday, Feb. 3, by wearing red to show support and spread awareness for cardiovascular disease in women.

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Citation

American Heart Association. (2023). About Go Red for Women. American Heart Association. Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/about-go-red-for-women