Show your colors on National Wear Red Day

Think men are more prone to heart disease? Try again. More women than men die of heart disease each year. In fact:

• Nearly 39% of all female deaths in the United States occur from cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association).
• Heart attack, stroke, and related cardiovascular diseases are responsible for almost twice as many deaths among women as all forms of cancer combined (American Heart Association).
• Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death among U.S. women. It affects 1 in 10 women over the age of 18 (National Institute on Health).

While awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death has increased from 30% in 1997 to 46% in 2003, only 20% of women consider it to be their own greatest health risk. National Wear Red Day, celebrated on Friday, February 1, is a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness and bring well-needed attention to this killer. 

 "Women need to realize that making even one lifestyle change reduces their risk for heart disease," says August Stieber of Bensinger, DuPont & Associates (BDA), a national EAP firm. In fact, the risk of heart disease can be lowered by as much as 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle, according to The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Stieber offers these lifestyle suggestions:

• Exercise: Regular physical activity--even as simple as walking 30 minutes a day--can lead to improved blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and cardiovascular fitness.
• Nutrition: A diet low in fat and high in fiber can help reduce the risk for heart attack by lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
• Stress Reduction: Stress management reduces heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol--all of which improve heart health. 

National Wear Red Day was launched in partnership with The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information on National Wear Red Day, click here.

Editor's note: For additional information, Stieber can be reached at 1-800-227-8620. Courtesy of Bensinger, DuPont & Associates. Reprinted with permission.