Today is National Wear Red Day/Go Red for Women Day! Go Red for Women is trying to make this year the biggest Go Red year yet! You can participate to by uploading a pic of yourself and tagging it with #GoRedSelfie. The event only lasts through February 28th, so hurry!
We have our selfie here!
National Wear Red Day started in 2003, and has made a great impact in its decade of existence. Through the research, education, and awareness, their website states that:
Nearly 90% have made at least one healthy behavior change.
More than one-third has lost weight.
More than 50% have increased their exercise.
6 out of 10 have changed their diets.
More than 40% have checked their cholesterol levels.
One third has talked with their doctors about developing heart health plans.
Today, nearly 300 fewer women die from heart disease and stroke each day.
Death in women has decreased by more than 30 percent over the past 10 years.
Wear Red for Women is a great awareness program used to shed light that while men suffer from CVD at higher rates, women are still at risk and shouldn’t shrug off the disease as “something only men need to worry about”. In truth, CVD is the number one killer of BOTH men AND women. Some commonly missed symptoms that tend to be overlooked include shortness of breath, nausea and flue like symptoms, jaw and back pain.
The Lahey Hospital provides an excellent break down of the gender specific differences of heart disease, which can be found in full here.