Wear Red Day is this Friday

February is American Heart Awareness Month. On Friday, people are encouraged to wear red as part of National Wear Red Day, a national event campaign aimed to raise awareness about heart disease in women. Started over 10 years ago, this event seeks to educate Americans that heart disease is the No.1 killer in women, and yet is largely preventable. The event also raises funds that are put toward heart health research.

Why the color red? It’s the color of our hearts. It’s estimated that cardiovascular disease kills one woman in the U.S. every 80 seconds. “That’s the bad news,” Laura Ely, CBHA medical provider, said. “The good news is that eighty percent of cardiac-related episodes may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes.”

Information on the Go Red for Women official web site encourages women to “Know Their Numbers.” These numbers include total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and Body Mass Index (BMI). Knowing these five numbers help women understand the state of their heart health, and begin to manage it if risk factors exist.

“American Heart Month reminds patients to focus on their hearts and prevent potentially fatal outcomes,” Ely said. “We are holding an educational event at CBHA clinics in Othello, Connell and Mattawa on Wednesday, Feb. 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that are designed to help people learn about heart disease prevention, and how to recognize signs and symptoms that something is wrong.”

Staff will be on site to distribute handouts, complete informal screenings and answer questions. Event attendees’ names will also be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a Healthy Heart Raffle Pack.

Help reduce the number of heart-related conditions in our community by joining us as we wear red on National Wear Red Day. Learn more about cardiovascular services at CBHA by visiting us online at cbha.org or by calling us at 509-488-5256.