Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year, killing approximately one woman every 80 seconds.
Fortunately, we can change that because 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.
Today, on National Wear Red Day, marks 15 years since this day was born. The organization encourages everyone to wear red to show your support for women with heart disease and stroke.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Understand Risk Factors:
There are some you can control like blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol, lack of regular physical activity, and some you can’t control like age, gender, and family history.
That’s why it is important to Know Your Numbers, learn your Family History and discuss all risk factors with your healthcare provider.
2. “Know Your Numbers”
Five numbers can change your life – Total Cholesterol, HDL (good) Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Body Mass Index (BMI).
3. Take Action and Manage Your Numbers
Schedule a separate visit with your healthcare provider to learn these numbers and commit them to memory.
Work to improve your numbers, if necessary.
Now.. the extra fun stuff:
HOW TO CELEBRATE ‘WEAR RED DAY’
1. Wear Red.
Be sure to wear something red to show your support for women with heart disease and stroke.
And, yes! Redheads can wear red. Get more inspiration here.
2. Share Your Photo.
Take a selfie, organize your office to wear red, paint your neighborhood red, organize a neighborhood walk wearing red, dress your family up in red. However you Go Red, take photos and share them using the hashtag – #GoRedWearRed.
3. Donate.
Donate directly to Go Red for Women. By doing so you help support educational programs to increase women’s awareness and critical research to discover scientific knowledge about cardiovascular health.
4. Attend a Go Red Luncheon!
In New England (and/or the Providence, RI area) on February 16th? Join the Southern New England American Heart Association for the ‘Go Red’ luncheon. Adrienne and Stephanie, the co-founder’s of How to be a Redhead, will host a “How to be a Redhead” book signing and will be the keynote speakers for the event!
Sign up by clicking here!
…MORE FACTS ABOUT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
1.Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women, taking more lives than all forms of cancer combined
2. More than one in three women is living with some form of cardiovascular disease.
3. Almost half of cardiovascular-related deaths are in females.
4. About 3.6 million stroke survivors alive today are women.
5. Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 people a year. That’s roughly 1 in every 20 deaths.
6. Less than 20% of women meet the Federal Physical Activity Guidelines.
7. Through the outreach and efforts of Go Red For Women, today about 293 fewer women in the U.S. die from heart disease and stroke each day.
8. Learn more by visiting the Go Red for Women website + Rock it like a Redhead!
