February is American Heart Month and the tenth anniversary of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign wants you to wear red on February 1.  Some things to consider:*

• Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.
• Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.
• An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease.
• Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
• Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.
• The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and are often misunderstood.
• While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease.
• Only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat.
• Women comprise only 24 percent of participants in all heart-related studies.

The Go Red for Women Campaign urges you to take part. Here are some ways you can:

• Wear red on Friday, February 1.
• Help raise funds through donations and fundraisers for lifesaving educational programs and the development of new treatments to fight heart disease.
• Make your workplace, school or organization aware of heart disease, its deadly impact on women and how we can fight back.
• Walk the talk by being physically active, eating a heart-healthy diet and learning about heart disease and its risk factors.
• Invite others to get involved so we can advance further, faster.

* Statistics courtesy of American Heart Association