(1/27/12) –
Friday, February 3, 2012, is National Wear Red Day. On this day, women and men across the nation wear red to bring awareness to the fact that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s nationwide movement celebrating the energy, passion and power we have to band together and wipe out heart disease.

This day is dedicated to raising community awareness of the harsh impact of heart disease in an effort to deter its effects.

Participants in the McLeod Dillon Cardiac Rehabilitation program are joining the campaign to wear red. Female participant Alma Brown, who had a heart stent inserted in 2008, remembered the shortness of breath she experienced leading up to the discovery of a blockage in her heart. Ruth Johnson, also a Cardiac Rehabilitation participant, talked about the fatigue she felt for months leading up to a heart attack, which she described as feeling like a terrible case of heartburn.

Heart disease and stroke affects all of us. Diseases of the heart are the country’s No. 1 cause of death; stroke is No. 3. Together these cardiovascular diseases kill more than 930,000 Americans each year. As a matter of fact, every 34 seconds someone dies from CVD and every 3.4 minutes someone dies from a stroke. One out of two citizens in our area dies from cardiovascular disease.

"Heart disease and stroke claim more women’s lives each year than the next five leading causes of death combined," said Dorrie Williams, RN, Supervisor of the McLeod Dillon Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. "In many cases, these diseases can be prevented through healthy lifestyle choices."

According to a new Drexel University Study that was presented at the American Heart Association’s annual scientific sessions, the number of women hospitalized for heart failure increase 55 percent annually, compared to 20 percent annually for men.

Go Red For Women is a challenge set by the American Heart Association to raise awareness and stop heart disease in women. Follow these tips to reduce your risk for heart disease:
 Lower Cholesterol
 Reduce High Blood Pressure
 Stop Smoking
 Get Physically Active
 Achieve Recommended Weight
 Prevent or Control Diabetes
 Lower Stress Levels

About Go Red For Women
Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s solution to save women’s lives. With one out of three women still dying from heart disease, we are committed to fighting this No. 1 killer that is preventable. GoRedForWomen.org, a premier source of information and education, connects millions of women of all ages and gives them tangible resources to turn personal choices into life-saving actions. We encourage women and the men who love them to embrace the cause. For more information please visit GoRedForWomen.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278). The movement is nationally sponsored by Macy’s and Merck & Co., Inc.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join us, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any of our offices around the country, or visit heart.org.