The POWER of RED: Wear it on Friday to Support Heart Health Awarenes

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“Go Red for Women”, a date designed to raise awareness of heart disease in women, is the first Friday each February.

The story behind wearing red to raise awareness the first Friday of February started in 2003, when the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute designed the campaign to create awareness of the severity of heart disease in women.  Back then, the disease was affecting and taking the lives of almost half a million women.

Sadly today -- after all the research that has been done regarding heart health and women, there are still those who either don't know the effects of heart disease in women, or believe that heart disease affects more men than women.

Did you know that:

  • More American women die of heart disease than of all forms of cancer combined? 
  • Most women do not know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women? 
  • Many of the risk factors for heart disease in women (high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, inactivity and smoking, for example) can be reduced or eliminated?

This year marks the effort's 12th year anniversary.  So what are the accomplishments of the National Wear Red Campaign?  According to the information published on the Go Red For Women website, the results are very encouraging:

  • Nearly 90% of women have made at least one healthy behavior change.
  • More than one-third of women have lost weight.
  • More than 50% of women have increased their exercise.
  • 6 out of 10 women have changed their diets.
  • More than 40% of women have checked their cholesterol levels.
  • One third of women have talked with their doctors about developing heart health plans.

As to why the color red, various psychology studies agree that the color connotes excitement, motivation, assertiveness, energy, desire, passion and furthermore, ACTION.

So this Friday, February 6th take the opportunity to ACT and wear something red to show your awareness of and support for women at risk for heart disease.

From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you! 
                                      __________________
     
About the Doris A. Howell Foundation:

The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is committed to keeping the women we love healthy, advancing women’s health through research and educating women to be catalysts for improving family health in the community.

The organization does so by funding scholarships to scientists researching issues affecting women’s health;   providing a forum for medical experts, scientists, doctors, researchers, and authors to convey the timely information on topics relevant to women’s health and the health of their families through its Lecture and Evening Series, and by funding research initiatives that will create women’s health awareness and advocacy in the community.    

For more information about the Doris A. Howell Foundation, please visit www.howellfoundation.org. 
                                                __________________________

Sources:  www.goredforwomen.org
In Collaboration with Carole Banka, Ph.D

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