National Wear Red Day

Dig out that fabulous red dress. Pull on those red cowboy boots. Grab that flashy red leather jacket. Today, February 5, 2010, is National Wear Red Day®. It's not just for Valentine's Day anymore. I may not look like Christina Hendricks wearing a gorgeous form fitting Carolina Herrera red dress, but I can show my support for heart disease awareness in my own way!

The Heart Truth®, is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease that was started by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and partner organizations. The Red Dress is their national symbol to remind us to protect our heart health and inspire us to take action. Their logo: "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear."

Although the target audience for the campaign is women ages 40 to 60, this message applies to all women. According the NHLBI, 80% of these women have one or more risk factors. Heart disease develops gradually, and bad habits start early. Being overweight, smoking, having hypertension or high cholesterol and not getting exercise all contribute to increasing the risk of heart disease when one gets older. Teaching young women heart healthy habits is probably the best thing we can do for our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and all future generations.

The good news is that you can do something about this problem. In addition to wearing a red dress that is. Find out your risk for heart disease. Women of color are more likely to have risk factors of heart disease, so talk to your physician and determine your risk. Keep physically active, don't smoke, and eat right. Check out the exercises we have been showcasing in January and February, and pick some out to try. The NHLBI estimates that you can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 82% by living a healthy lifestyle.
So, grab that red pants suit, pumps and blouse and help us pass on the word. If you don't want to wear all red, you can buy a red dress pin to support The Heart Truth campaign at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/ht_pin.htm.

Also check out http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth.

National Wear Red Day is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Heart Association.