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By Michael Castillo, American Heart Association
It’s all about your heart!
Friday, February 2nd is National Wear Red Day, a day dedicated to promoting women’s heart health and raising awareness that heart disease is the # 1 killer of Americans. This theme is carried throughout the month of February, which has been nationally designated as American Heart Month.
What exactly is American Heart Month? It’s a federally designated event and an ideal time to remind Americans to focus on their hearts and encourage them to get their families, friends and communities involved. Why, you ask? Cardiovascular disease, listed as the underlying cause of death, accounts for about 844,000 deaths in the US. That’s about 1 of every 3 deaths. About 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day, an average of 1 death every 38 seconds. Cardiovascular diseases claim more lives each year than all forms of cancer and Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease combined.
The American Heart Association is working to change these statistics by funding research and developing programs to improve the health of all Americans. One such program is Go Red For Women. When the program was first developed, nearly 500,000 women were dying of heart disease each year, yet women weren’t paying attention. Heart disease was dispelled as a “man’s disease,” yet more women were dying from heart disease than men.
Even the symptoms of heart attack are different for men and women. What are the symptoms?
· uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
· Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
· Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort.
· Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
As with men, the most common heart attack symptom in women is chest pain or discomfort. But it’s important to note that women are more likely to experience the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, do not wait to call for help. Dial 9-1-1, make sure to follow the operator’s instructions and get to a hospital right away.
Go Red For Women has helped raise awareness and change the tide, but the fight is far from over. Cardiovascular diseases, which includes stroke, claim the life of a woman about every 80 seconds. But about 80 percent of cardiovascular diseases may be prevented with education and lifestyle change. That’s why it’s important to participate in events like National Wear Red Day so we can continue to raise awareness and save lives.
To celebrate this year, the American Heart Association is hosting an inaugural Modesto Wear Red Day celebration at Vintage Faire Mall between 10am-2pm. Emceed by DJ Madden of KHOP 95.1, the event will feature free health screenings from local Go Red For Women cause sponsor Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute, CPR training, lipstick matching from Macy’s, and more activities for the whole family. Most importantly, don’t forget to wear red! For more information, please call 209-598-8220. #GoRedModesto
SAVE THE DATE: Go Red For Women luncheon, Friday, May 4th at Modesto Centre Plaza. 10am-2pm. Includes heart healthy luncheon and health fair with free health screenings, educational breakouts, shopping opportunities and more! For more information and sponsorship opportunities, contact katie.malone@heart.org<mailto:katie.malone@heart.org>.
SAVE THE DATE: Stanislaus Heart & Stroke Walk, Saturday, September 15th, 2018. Form your team today! For more information and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.StanislausHeartWalk.org or contact ann.leale@heart.org<mailto:ann.leale@heart.org>.
CALLING ALL SURVIVORS! Do you have a story you’d like to share, or just want to help raise awareness about heart disease and stroke? We’d love to hear from you! Contact ann.leale@heart.org<mailto:ann.leale@heart.org> to see how you can get involved.
