By Kim Adams
Wearing red in February has a more important meaning than celebrating Valentine’s Day. February is American Heart Month, and red is the designated color to support awareness of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, making it necessary to be aware of the symptoms and the effects of heart disease, as well as to support research for these diseases.
GO RED For Women is an effort by the American Heart Association to inform women about the causes and preventative measures that can be taken against heart disease. GO RED has been in the works for over 10 years, and has saved more than 627,000 lives.
The AHA is putting on a number of events throughout the month, including a ladies’ luncheon on Feb. 27 at Calvin College.
“Most women don’t realize that this is the number one cause of death,” said Cindy Bouma, the Communications and Marketing Director of the AHA in Grand Rapids. According to the AHA, heart disease kills more women than all types of cancer combined.
When asked what women can do to prevent such diseases, Bouma gave some suggestions. “Women should get medical exams and learn their heart numbers, if prescribed medications they should be sure to take them, and the AHA recommends 30 minutes of exercise per day,” Bouma said. “It is important for women to stay healthy to reduce their risk of heart disease.”
National Wear Red Day was Feb. 7, but wearing red to support heart disease awareness is encouraged throughout the entire month of February. If you’re interested in learning more about GO RED For Women and how you can get involved in the movement, visit GoRedForWomen.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART.
