COLUMBUS, Ohio – Men and women across central Ohio were pulling their favorite scarlet garments out of the closet Friday, and not because there is an Ohio State game.
Friday is the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women National Wear Red Day.
Since the movement began more than 10 years ago, there has been a 23 percent increase in awareness among women that heart disease is their greatest threat.
And that awareness has paid off, says Brianne Harman communications director with the Central Ohio American Heart Association.
“Also over the last 10 years we’ve saved about 627,000 lives. The thing is, one-in-three women are still dying from it so there’s so much more work to do,” she said.
An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by cardiovascular disease and it is the No. 1 killer of women, but Harman says 80 percent of cardiac arrests can be prevented by controlling the effects of some risk factors. Healthy eating, regular exercise, not smoking and decreasing stress can reduce the effects of risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and weight, she said.
“Sometimes there’s things that you can’t control like your family history. You can’t control the genes you get; your family’s your family, and sometimes that will put you at great risk regardless of the healthy choices you’re making. But truly you can really improve your chances by living a healthy life,” she said.
February is Heart Month and the Go Red movement will take center stage again at the 2014 Go Red Luncheon, Feb. 20, at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom.