Wear Red for Women's Heart Disease

Did you know that heart disease is by far the leading cause of death for women in the United States?

The sobering statistics can be found on this page by kab, National Wear Red Day: Heart Disease Awareness. kab shows 329,000 women dying every year from heart disease, with the second highest being stroke at 87,000. Breast cancer is fifth at 40,000.

According to kab,

One in four women dies from heart disease. It's the #1 killer of women, regardless of race or ethnicity. It also strikes at younger ages than most people think, and the risk rises in middle age. And, two-thirds of women who have heart attacks never fully recover.

National Wear Red Day is coming up on February 4th. Sponsored by the American Heart Association, it is a day to bring attention to heart disease by wearing red. The red dress is its symbol, but you can wear anything red, including a red heart pin available at the Go Red for Women site.

Kab's beautiful red page explains the importance of this issue and directs us to resources for action. There is even a page about red dresses!

Being over the age of 50, and spending much more time on the computer has not helped my fitness level. It has become essential to make the time to get in better shape. That is why I made the commitment this year to walk a mini-marathon in May. Training has already begun and I hope it will not only help to get my heart in better condition, but also help me to look a lot better in that red dress.

Do you have five women in your life that you think should be aware of this day? At the Go Red for Women site, they challenge you to email those five women, telling them about National Wear Red Day. Will you do it?

Image Credit: Red Dress Magnet by krhc45