If you noticed that the color red was prevalent February 6th, it wasn’t because Valentine’s Day was near. The American Heart Association launched the Go Red for Women campaign in 2003 to help raise awareness and raise money to combat this issue. Now, on the first Friday of February, women wear red dresses as a symbol to the fight against heart disease in women. American Heart Month is all about raising awareness for heart disease because heart disease is the number one killer in America with one in three women who have died did so from heart attacks and strokes.
There has been tremendous progress and success since the first National Wear Red day. The movement has changed the lives of women across the country through education, research, and everyday lifestyle changes. Here are the statistics that the American Heart Association has reported as a result of the Go Red for Women campaign:
- About 90% of women have made at least one healthy lifestyle change
- More than one-third have lost weight
- More than 50% have increased the amount of exercise they do
- 6 out of 10 have changed their diets
- More than 40% have checked their cholesterol levels
- About one-third have talked to their doctors about heart health plans
- Nearly 300 fewer women die of heart disease each day
- Death in women has decreased by more than 30% over the last decade
While these statistics are encouraging, there is still more that can be done. Prevention has always been the best cure for heart disease, and about 80% of cardiac events can be prevented through healthy lifestyle changes. The Go Red for Women campaign has been and will continue to be an important player in the fight against heart disease in women.