Heart disease is the #1 killer of women. One in three women die of heart disease each year, with more experiencing a heart attack on Mondays than any other day. That’s why we’re sounding the alarm to make heart health part of the weekly routine in the lives of American women.
While the American Heart Association urges Americans to wear red to raise awareness one day a year, we believe Americans should strive for heart health every week by wearing red every Monday. “This dangerous lack of awareness is precisely why the Healthy Monday initiative is urging Americans to go beyond Go Red Day and sport something red every Monday in 2013,” says Sid Lerner, founder of The Monday Campaigns.
Star Jones has already agreed to wear red every day in February for National Heart Health awareness. But what happens after February? We challenge all influential women in the media to wear red every Monday. And, each of us can take the time each Monday to share heart health information with the women in our lives and ask that they pass it on as well.
“If more women wear red every Monday and share the reason with other women they meet, they can ignite a viral movement,” says Lerner. “If every Monday each woman tells two friends, and they tell two friends, pretty soon women all over the country will have this lifesaving information. And, with Facebook, Twitter, texting, women have powerful tools to share this message with those they love.”
So share these important heart disease stats with your loved ones this Monday. And be sure to wear red this week or sport the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women pin to bring more attention to the message of the Go Red for Women movement:
- Heart disease is a woman’s #1 health threat, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year.
- Women have a 15% greater risk of having a heart attack on a Monday than any other day of the week, particularly women under the age of 50.
- 90% of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
- African American and Hispanic women are at higher risk of heart disease than their white counterparts.
- Women’s symptoms of a heart attack include shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, sweating, lightheadedness or dizziness, unusual fatigue, and neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort.
- To reduce your risk of heart disease, get 2 ½ hours of exercise each week, maintain a healthy weight, stay smoke free, and eat a diet that’s low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt.
