This Friday, February 7th, marks National Wear Red Day, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about women and heart disease. The Henry and Stark County Health Departments, alongside their First Choice Healthcare clinics in Kewanee, Colona, and Toulon, are joining forces with the American Heart Association to spotlight this critical issue.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined. RaeAnn Tucker, Director of Health Promotion with the Henry and Stark County Health Departments said, “Women often do not take their risk of heart disease seriously or personally. However, Heart Disease is the number 1 killer of women, killing more than all forms of cancer combined. Many of these deaths can be prevented, but most women don’t notice the symptoms until it’s too late. That’s why it’s been called the silent killer. You can help increase awareness of women’s heart health by wearing red, speaking up, and uniting with millions of women to help save lives across America.”
Risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and physical inactivity can be managed with lifestyle changes. To learn more, contact your nearest First Choice Healthcare clinic or visit their social media pages. Together, we can save lives.
The Health Department and First Choice Healthcare offer the following Heart Health facts:
- Heart disease is the number one killer of American women aged 20 and over, killing approximately one woman every minute.
- One in every 3 women dies of heart disease. One in every 30 dies of breast cancer.
- 90% of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
- Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82% by just leading a healthy life.
Risk factors for heart disease include:
- Smoking
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- High Blood Cholesterol
- Obesity
- Physical Inactivity
- Age
- Family history of heart disease
For more information on heart health and the services of the First Choice Healthcare Clinics, you may call the location nearest you in Kewanee (309) 852-5272, Colona (309) 792-4011, or Toulon (309) 852-3115; visit https://www.henrystarkhealth.com, or find them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.