Heart disease and stroke cause one in three deaths among women each year, killing about one woman every 80 seconds. But, it doesn’t have to be that way because 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.

Friday is National Wear Red for Women Day, which is designed to increase women’s awareness of heart disease and stroke and fund research to discover scientific knowledge about cardiovascular health.

The Pike County Heart Board is encouraging all Pike Countians to “Go Red for women” on Friday to raise awareness and fund the fight against heart disease and stroke.

The board has 2017 “Go Red” T-shirts available for purchase in the mapping department located in the basement area of the Pike County Courthouse.

Vanessa Davis said the “Go Red” T-shirt sales have been good.

“Raising awareness of heart disease and stroke in women is a main purpose of “Go Red for Women Day,’” Davis said. Although the purchase of a Go Red T-shirt benefits the American Heart Association financially, Davis said wearing red of any kind on Friday helps to raise awareness of heart disease in women.

In 2003, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute took action against a disease that was claiming the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year – a disease that women weren’t paying attention to. A disease many still believe affects more men than women.

Stemming from that action, National Wear Red Day was born.

National Wear Red Day on Friday will mark 15 years since the initial National Wear Red Day, which was first observed to bring national attention to the fact that heart disease is the number one killer of women, and to raise awareness of women’s heart health.

Much has been accomplished.

According to information from the National Wear Red Day and AHA, today, nearly 90 percent of women have made at least one healthy behavior change. More than one-third of women has lost weight and six out of 10 have changed their diets. Fifty percent of women have increased their exercise.

Death in women has decreased by more than 30 percent over the past 10 years.

Today, nearly 300 fewer women die from heart disease and stroke each day.

But the numbers are still staggering.  The AMA reports that cardiovascular disease and stroke cause one in three women’s deaths each year, killing about one woman every 80 seconds. An estimated 44 million women in the United States are affected by cardiovascular diseases and 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for heart disease or stroke.

The Pike County Heart Board has “Go Red” T-shirts on sale at the Pike County Courthouse for $10 and $15 depending on the size and sleeve length.

w But, wearing red of any kind on Friday will show support of the efforts to reduce the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke in women.

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