JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health, encouraged women -- and those who love them -- to rally Friday as part of its signature movement Go Red for Women by wearing red on National Wear Red Day.
The organization hopes to motivate women to take action against cardiovascular disease throughout American Heart Month in February.
The CEO of Black Knight, Anthony Jabbour, invited employees from all over the city to join for the “Largest National Wear Red Day Photo” ever. More than 1,000 showed up for the photo, captured from a drone.
“It’s a cause that affects all of us," Jabbour said. “Every one of us knows someone that’s been affected by heart disease and so we thought bringing awareness would be the first step to helping all of us battle this disease. I was just really proud of how it was all the companies along the river here really came out for their community everyone here caring and fighting for their community so I want to thank everyone for that.”
One of the 1,000 people in the photo was highly motivated to help.
“It was important for me to participate for a number of reasons," Jessica Witte said. "The first being that my great grandmother died from heart disease and being an expectant mom of a little girl, going forward, you know, it’s really important to spread awareness.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women and claims more lives than all forms of cancer combined.
“One in three women die from heart disease (and) 80%t of that is preventable,” said Amber Wilson, executive director of the American Heart Association. "But, really, the important part is that a lot of people don’t realize those facts and so today is all about getting out, encouraging people to wear red, raise awareness to really encourage women to take action of their own health.”
- Cardiovascular disease can be different in women than in men, and women may experience different signs or symptoms than men.
- Women continue to be underrepresented in research and experience inequities in care, including longer wait times for treatment.
- Women make up less than half of all clinical trial participants globally with women of color only accounting for 3%.
- Research shows that women are potentially more likely to survive a heart attack if their doctor is female, yet in today’s workforce women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields by 25%.
“Powering the future of women’s heart and brain health is imperative to the work we do at the American Heart Association and to the mission of Go Red for Women,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “With one in three women dying of cardiovascular disease, we must ensure women are equitably represented in research.”
In its 16th year, Go Red for Women encourages awareness of heart disease and stroke, working in communities around the world to help women understand that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat and empowers them to take action to lower their risk. The movement will continue to help women take charge of their health, demand equal access to healthcare for all women and increase the number of women in STEM careers.
“This February, women must stand together, show support and demand to be represented equally in cardiovascular disease research and care,” said Brown. “We’re continuing to forge news paths and inspire younger generations of women to create health solutions for women.”
The public can support women’s heart health and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement during American Heart Month in the following ways:
Wear Red and Give on Friday
Wear red on National Wear Red Day to raise awareness among women about heart disease and stroke. You can make a donation to support Go Red for Women at WearRedDay.org or at your local CVS Pharmacy on Feb. 7, 2020, and throughout the month. Join the social media conversation by using #WearRedAndGive.
No-cost heart health screenings at MinuteClinic®
To help women better understand their risk for heart disease, CVS Health is offering no-cost heart-health screenings nationwide select Thursdays in February at MinuteClinic®, the company’s retail medical clinic. Patients can visit the 1,100 MinuteClinic locations to receive a no-cost “Know Your Numbers” heart health screening on the first three Thursdays of February. During the screenings, patients will learn five key personal health numbers that can help them determine their risk for heart disease: total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index. CVS Pharmacy customers can also help in the fight against heart disease and stroke by making a $1, $3 or larger donation at the register at CVS Pharmacy stores nationwide or online at cvshealth.com/GoRed, Feb. 2-22, 2020.
Join Research Goes Red
With female-centric research a critical need, the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® and Verily’s Project Baseline joined forces on the initiative, Research Goes Red, to empower women to participate in research and clinical trials to move science ahead.
Go Red for Women encourages women starting at age 20 to get screened for heart disease and stroke and to know their numbers to determine personal risk, the five key personal health numbers that help determine heart disease risk: total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index. By making a healthy lifestyle a priority and moving more, eating smart, not smoking and managing blood pressure certain cardiac events can be prevented by 80%. For more information visit GoRedforWomen.org.