Joining many across the nation today, local businesses, organizations and individuals are celebrating February 1st as Go Red Day in honor of American Heart Association.   Pictured at top are staff members at Brownwood Regional Medical Center showing off their support of the day by wearing red like many others.

In 2003, the American Heart Association faced a challenge; cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even dismissed it as an “older man’s disease.” To dispel these myths of heart disease as the No. 1 killer of women, the American Heart Association, along with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute created National Wear Red Day® to raise awareness of this critical issue. Each year, on the first Friday in February, millions of women and men come together to wear red, take action and commit to fighting this deadly disease.

One year later, in 2004, the AHA also created Go Red For Women – a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health as well as band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges women to know their risk for heart disease and use the tools that that Go Red For Women provides to take action to reduce their personal risk.

Funds raised by Go Red For Women allow the American Heart Association to help women by offering educational programs, increase women’s understanding about their risk for heart disease and support research to discover scientific knowledge about heart health. We turn science into materials and tools that healthcare providers and decision-makers can use to help women. Scientific guidelines on women and healthcare providers receive the most up-to-date strategies and treatments tailored to a woman’s individual risk.

Since the first National Wear Red Day 10 years ago, tremendous strides have been made in the fight against heart disease in women, including:

• 21% fewer women dying from heart disease
• 23% more women aware that it’s their No. 1 health threat
• Publishing of gender-specific results, established differences in symptoms and responses to medications and women-specific guidelines for prevention and treatment
• Legislation to help end gender disparities

But the fight is far from over as still hundreds of thousands of women still die each year. It’s time to stand stronger, speak louder and join us in the fight this National Wear Red Day.

The National Go Red Movement states, “It’s time to Go Red.  Join us.”

For more information, visit goredforwomen.org.