Friday, February 6, is Go Red for Women Day. The annual event raises awareness about cardiovascular disease and encourages women to prioritize their heart health. Wear red and show your support by posting your photo to #WearRedDay, #GoRedforWomen and #HeartMonth. Make a donation to the American Heart Association (Goredforwomen.org). 

American Heart Association Go Red for Women Movement:

Since 2004, the American Heart Association’s signature women’s initiative, Go Red for Women, has met the evolving health needs of women and addressed the awareness and clinical care gaps related to their greatest health threat: cardiovascular disease (CVD).

During key life stages such as adolescence, pregnancy and menopause, women may experience unique events that can increase their risk for heart disease and stroke across their life course.

Cardiovascular disease does not discriminate, and it is not a one-size-fits-all issue. Heart disease and stroke unfairly target women, yet women have been historically left out of research, testing, treatment, and funding.

That’s why Go Red for Women is meeting the health and wellness needs of women now, and at every age, every stage, and every season of their lives as their trusted, relevant source for credible health solutions. Go Red for Women is also focused on supporting women-centric research and committed to closing gaps in care and support.

There is one source of support women can count on – each other. Women connect with other women for information, motivation and inspiration. Through the power of community, we can create better health outcomes for all women. Let’s Go Red, together!

Cardiovascular Disease in Women

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women¹.

Among females 20 years of age and older, nearly half (45%) have some form of cardiovascular disease².

Less than half (only 44%) of women are aware that cardiovascular disease is their leading cause of death³.

A woman is less likely to receive CPR from a bystander than a man⁴, and men have 23% higher odds of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest than women⁵. Too many women die from cardiac arrest – partly because people are afraid to touch them⁶.

Life Stages

As a woman ages, her risk for cardiovascular disease changes. The good news is that most heart attacks and strokes can be prevented through lifestyle changes and education. Go Red for Women is committed to meeting the needs of women in every age, stage and season of life.

Life Stages: Maternal Health

How Go Red for Women is Making a Difference: We’re raising awareness and education through survivor stories and marketing campaigns, while advocating for policy and systems changes that support all women.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms. It can pose a threat to women’s heart health during pregnancy and later in life, making it important that women understand how to care for themselves and their babies.

High blood pressure, preeclampsia, eclampsia and gestational diabetes during pregnancy can increase cardiovascular risk for both mom and baby – short term and later in life.

High blood pressure is the most prevalent cardiovascular condition during pregnancy.

Life Stages: Menopause 

How Go Red for Women is Making a Difference: We’re supporting women’s heart health through the menopausal transition by developing new educational resources and raising awareness of its impact on women’s cardiovascular health. We’re ending the stigma around menopause by encouraging women to share their experiences.

Women are at a greater risk for heart disease and stroke after menopause, making it even more important to focus on health before and during the menopausal transition.

Women who reach menopause before age 45 have a significantly higher risk of coronary heart disease.

Bridging the Gap: CVD

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, yet women remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. From receiving bystander CPR to facing differences in care, women deserve better. Go Red for Women is committed to closing gaps in access to care and championing a community of support.

Bridging the Gap: Stroke

How Go Red for Women is Making a Difference: We’re raising awareness and providing education to help all women understand and reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke. We’re funding research to advance innovative solutions specific to women’s unique health experiences and needs. We’re passing policies to make access to critical healthcare, lifesaving training and technology available to all women everywhere.

Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in women. 1 in 5 women will have a stroke.

Women are more likely to have a stroke than men. In 2019, in the U.S., stroke accounted for 6.2% of all female deaths, while comprising 4.4% of all male deaths.

Women with ischemic stroke are less likely to be transported to the hospital by emergency medical services and receive prompt imaging and blood thinners. Women are also more likely to die within 30 days of stroke hospitalization.

Bridging the Gap: CPR

How Go Red for Women is Making a Difference: We’re training 22 million people a year in Hands-Only CPR, so everyone can feel confident taking action in an emergency. We’re supporting research on the rates of women receiving bystander CPR and raising awareness of the importance of the lifesaving skill. 

Women are often less likely to receive bystander CPR because people fear accusations of inappropriate touching, sexual assault or injuring the victim.

Many people believe that women are less likely to have heart problems and overdramatize incidents. It’s these fears and myths that lead to women being less likely to receive the lifesaving CPR help they need.

About 70% of cardiac arrests that happen outside of a hospital happen at home.

Bridging the Gap: Mind-Heart-Body Connection

How Go Red for Women is Making a Difference: We’re supporting research on the connection between psychological wellness and cardiovascular disease and providing resources and education focused on ways women can support their well-being, reduce their stress and practice self-care.

The mind, heart and body are interconnected and interdependent. Factors, conditions and disease states (both physical and psychological) that affect one of these three components of a person can affect the other two components.

Women are 38% more likely to have a cardiovascular event when experiencing high work stress. In fact, work stress is about as risky as secondhand smoke. 

Stress can lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to a serious condition called preeclampsia and can also negatively impact both mom and baby.

Research and Science

For too long, women have been underrepresented in research. Less than 40% of research participants are women. Go Red for Women is funding critical, lifesaving research to address the unique risk factors and needs of women.

How Go Red for Women is Making a Difference: We’re identifying and addressing gaps in research and health care through Research Goes Red, an initiative making it easier for women to participate in cardiovascular research. The Go Red for Women Venture Fund supports women’s health companies that translate science to real clinical action and implementation.

There are significant biological differences between men and women, and clinical trials have not always adequately enrolled women or analyzed sex-specific differences in the data. As of 2020, only 38% of cardiovascular clinical research trial participants are women.

Addressing heart health at every stage of life can improve a woman’s quality of life and overall health. It could lead to at least 1.6 million years of higher-quality life and boost the US economy by $28 billion annually by 2040.

Women in STEM

STEM Goes Red draws on the American Heart Association’s strong legacy of science, education and discovery. It offers an immersive experience that propels young women into the exciting world of STEM.

How Go Red for Women is Making a Difference: Ensuring a new generation of female scientists, doctors, inventors and changemakers is a critical step in securing their future, as well as our own. The American Heart Association, through programs like STEM Goes Red, is empowering young women to pursue STEM careers while preparing them with the tools and resources they need to live long and healthy lives. We’re catalyzing their ability to be leaders for healthy change in their communities.

Today’s economy and tomorrow’s well-being depend on innovations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but a troubling gap exists when it comes to women in STEM occupations.

Women make up almost half of employment across non-STEM occupations, but just over 29% of the STEM workforce.

Despite the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, only 22% of primary care physicians and 42% of cardiologists in a nationwide survey reported that they felt prepared to address cardiovascular disease risk in women.

For more information and resources, visit GoRedforWomen.org.

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Heart Attack Symptoms

A heart attack strikes someone about every 40 seconds in the United States. It occurs when blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. This happens because the arteries that supply the heart with blood can slowly narrow from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances.

Even though heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S., women often chalk up the symptoms to less life-threatening conditions such as acid reflux, the flu or normal aging.

Many women think the signs of a heart attack are unmistakable. But the signs may not be obvious and might be confusing. Even when the signs are subtle, the outcomes can be deadly, especially if the person doesn’t get help right away.

If you have any of these signs, call 911 and get to a hospital right away.

• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It may last more than a few minutes or go away and come back.
• Pain or discomfort in the:
  • Arms (one or both)
  • Back
  • Neck
  • Jaw
  • Stomach
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs, including:
  • Breaking out in a cold sweat
  • Nausea
  • Lightheadedness

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. Some women having a heart attack describe upper back pressure that feels like squeezing or a rope being tied around them. Women may have other symptoms that are typically less associated with heart attack, such as:

• Anxiety
• Shortness of breath
• Upset stomach
• Pain in the shoulder, back or arm
• Unusual tiredness and weakness  

Source: American Heart Associaiton

Further Reading …