National Wear Red Day Is February 4th!

03 Feb National Wear Red Day Is February 4th!

By Malik Henry | Communications Coordinator

Every first Friday in February is observed as National Wear Red Day to raise awareness about the number one killer in the U.S– heart disease. This silent killer continues to affect women of the BIPOC community at a higher rate than any other. The national campaign encourages women to learn ways of lowering their chances of getting the deadly disease. This day elevates successful lifestyle changes that can reduce the risks and factors that increase the risks, including:

• Stress
• Family History
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Complications during pregnancy
• Menopause

In 2004, the American Heart Association made a commitment to raise awareness about heart disease by creating the “Go Red for Women Campaign.”  

“In the past, heart disease and heart attack have been predominantly associated with men. Historically, men have been the subjects of the research done to understand heart disease and stroke, which has been the basis for treatment guidelines and programs. This led to an oversimplified, distorted view of heart disease and risk, which has worked to the detriment of women,” states the “Go Red” campaign website. 

According to the CDC, “About 659,000 people in the United States die from heart disease each year–that’s 1 in every four deaths.” In addition, hypertension is at an all-time high in Black and Latinx communities, so cardiologists encourage people of all ages to routinely check their cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Heart disease screenings are just as crucial as COVID testing, so look for local Los Angeles health clinics that offer free services. 

 Heart Disease Prevention & Wellness in Los Angeles

For Black women, heart disease is one of the top reasons for fatalities when looking at racial and ethnic groups affected by heart disease. Hand in hand with heart disease is high blood pressure. Black women are 60 percent more likely to have high blood pressure when compared to white women. Significant lifestyle changes can be intimidating, so doctors encourage us to start by setting smaller goals like cutting down our salt intake, getting more sleep, and exercising. Make sure to get annual checkups, know the symptoms of a heart attack, inform your doctor of any pregnancy complications, and control stress.

High Cholesterol Motivated Angela Yee To Get Serious About Heart Health

CoCo wants to encourage us all to celebrate National Wear Red Day by: 

• Wearing red on Friday, February 4th, to show you support women being healthy and informed
• Using #GoRedWearRed on your social media profiles 
• Knowing your numbers for weight, body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol etc. 
• Finding out more about your risk factors
• Donating to the American Heart Association to help raise funds for awareness and research.