Heart health is a conversation worth starting

Once a year, the American Heart Association invites everyone to wear red in support of the Go Red for Women® movement and the daily campaign for cardiovascular health.

This year, National Wear Red Day is Friday, February 6. The day raises awareness about cardiovascular disease in women, encouraging women to learn more about risks, how to prevent them and how to support each other. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, and it affects almost 45% of women older than 20. It is also the leading cause of death among pregnant women and new moms.

Go Red for Women advocates for better care, recognizing that women experience unique life stages, such as pregnancy and menopause, that can put them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. At the same time, as of 2020, only 38% of participants in cardiovascular research trials were women.

Cardiovascular conditions are the leading cause of death during and shortly after pregnancy. The main risk factors for pregnancy-related death are race and ethnic disparities, age, high blood pressure and obesity.

Black women, for example, are three times more likely than white women to die of cardiovascular-related pregnancy complications. And, women 35 and older are at higher risk of developing conditions that can cause problems during and after pregnancy. Knowing the risk factors is important, and so is working with your health care team to lower your risks and improve your heart health.

Wearing red on February 6 is one step toward helping women understand their risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also start a conversation about other steps they can take to help themselves and others, including:

Learning CPR: Women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR because rescuers often fear accusations of inappropriate touching, sexual assault or injuring the victim. Only 39% of women received CPR from bystanders compared to 45% of men. And men are 23% more likely than women to survive sudden cardiac arrest.

One way to combat those discrepancies is to represent women in CPR training, said Dr. Comilla Sasson, a practicing emergency medicine doctor and a health care executive with the Heart Association. Training materials and videos feature women, for example, and students can practice on manikins modeled on the female body so that they can become comfortable with chest compressions.

“We have educational resources now that we probably didn’t have 10 years ago that can really help us hopefully get over this big barrier that we know exists,” Dr. Sasson said.

You can take classes in person or online so that you’re prepared to save a life during an emergency. You can also quickly learn Hands-Only CPR — and then encourage others to do the same.

Monitoring your blood pressure: High blood pressure can lead to other serious problems, including heart attack and stroke. Knowing your numbers helps you to understand your risks and to take action to reduce your blood pressure if needed. You can ask your health care professional to check your blood pressure, and you can use a home blood pressure monitor to track your numbers more often. You can find a list of validated monitors at validatebp.org.

Practicing self-care: Stress may contribute to poor health behaviors linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke, so it’s important to manage your stress levels. You can try practices such as exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, listening to music or meditating. Reach out to a friend or health care professional if you need to talk about your emotional health.

Consider taking the first step toward awareness about women and cardiovascular health by wearing red on February 6 and continuing the conversation all year long. Share what you’ve learned with the people you love and those in your community and find ways to support one another toward better heart health and overall well-being.