National Wear Red Day®: Join The #HeartChat

“Our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends are at risk. Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined.” GoRedForWomen.org

National Wear Red Day®: Join The #HeartChat

What it Means to Go Red

Why Go Red? 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. That’s why this year we are asking that you wear red on National Wear Red Day® and Donate to Go Red For Woman. By doing so you help support educational programs to increase women’s awareness and critical research to discover scientific knowledge about cardiovascular health via GoRedForWomen.org.

Do You Know What it Means to Go Red For Women? Friday is National Wear Red Day® and we can join women and men around the country to raise awareness about this insidious disease that takes the lives of thousands of women every year. Since the first National Wear Red Day® event in 2003, the campaign to save women’s lives against heart disease has focused on research and education to help us find ways to create and maintain a heart healthy lifestyle. If we make an extra effort to change our bad eating habits and sedentary lifestyle, our chances of surviving a stroke or heart attack would increase. It is imperative that we take the time to make sure that we have our annual check ups/Women’s Visits, and that we take every chest pain and discomfort seriously.

Quite often, women dismiss the signs they get and by the time they respond, they are in full cardiac distress. Join me on Twitter on Friday, 2/5 at 2:00 PM EST for #HeartChat! I’ll be tweeting alongside @Woman’s Day Magazine, @Heart Truth, and @Go Red For Women as we discuss heart disease risks, and how to learn about your personal risks.  In addition, you can join the American Heart Association (AHA), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the Office on Women’s Health (OWH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and many other groups to promote National Wear Red Day in your local community. National Wear Red Day® is a registered trademark of HHS and AHA.

National Wear Red Day®: Join The #HeartChat

CBS 19 Women’s Heart Attack Symptoms

Are You Planning to Wear Red on Friday and Support the Fight Against Heart Disease? If you were aware of the sobering statistics on heart disease, your answer would be a resounding YES! Did you know that the following stats means you or someone you know might someday be in danger of having a heart related health matter? “An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease. Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease. Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease. The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and are often misunderstood. While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for African American women. Of African American women ages 20 and older, 46.9 percent have cardiovascular disease. Hispanic women are likely to develop heart disease 10 years earlier than Caucasian women.” We need to educate ourselves and our loved ones on the subject, and there are many resources/tool-kits that we can avail ourselves of that will give us much needed insights and answers to questions that might arise when we spread the word. To view the full findings, download a copy of the Heart Disease and Stroke 2012 Statistical Update.

More Below!

“So what we’re doing is encouraging women to tell five other women to learn more about heart disease and how they can prevent it.”  Cheryl Hines

National Wear Red Day®: Join The #HeartChat

Rise Above Heart Failure Heart Month

Since its inception, Go Red For Women has successfully helped women prevent strokes and heart disease in the following ways: Nearly 90% have made at least one healthy behavior change; More than one-third has lost weight; More than 50% have increased their exercise; 6 out of 10 have changed their diets; More than 40% have checked their cholesterol levels; One third has talked with their doctors about developing heart health plans; Today, nearly 300 fewer women die from heart disease and stroke each day; Death in women has decreased by more than 30 percent over the past 10 years.  Even with all the successes under their belt, the Go Red For Women campaign is determined to make sure that every woman knows about the risks and spreads the word in their communities.

If we work together, we can achieve more to help reduce or eradicate the incidents of heart disease and strokes in our households and communities. There is still plenty of work to do.  Did you know that, since 1984, more women than men have died from heart disease and stroke? Whether we choose to take care of our health or stay in denial, the fact is that each of us will be impacted by heart matters; it could happen to a friend, a family member or us and we should be ready to win the fight against heart disease. Together, we can improve the health of all women. How can you protect yourself and your loved ones? Join the Twitter #heartchat on Friday to learn more and participate!

What more can we do about it?  We must make sure to reduce stress in our lives and get check ups regularly. We can donate or volunteer our time, participate in local events that raise awareness about heart disease and share the invaluable toolkit/resources that NHLBI provides. We can participate in the #HeartChat initiative and spread the word. We can be proactive by reaching out to our elected officials to demand support for equitable resources for us all.   The  Go Red for Women Campaign, wants us all to remember the following lifesaving tips:

What are you waiting for? Get your heart health in order and share your thoughts with the world.

For More: Women’s Lives & Issues 

Positive Motivation Tip: Your heart is a precious life force. Take care of your heart and make sure your family does too.

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: Heart collage from my Personal Collection,  Red Dress from Go Red,

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet