Dress in red to support health

The Women’s Resource Center will sponsor National Wear Red Day tomorrow to spread awareness about heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, according to the American Heart Association.

Representatives from the Women’s Resource Center will be on the second floor of the Student Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow promoting this day and the Heart Truth campaign launched by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the center’s secretary Marianne Kalbaugh said. Brochures about heart disease will be available, and a video relating to the campaign will be shown. Red carnations will also be passed out to increase awareness to women.

The Heart Truth is a national heart disease awareness campaign for women. According to the institute, February is American Heart Month. This month can be celebrated by wearing red tomorrow to support women’s heart health.

The goal of the campaign is to give women a wake-up call about the dangerous risks of this disease. According to the NHLBI, one in four women dies of heart disease, which can also lead to disability and decreased quality of life. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are risk factors and should not be ignored. The Red Dress, the symbol for women and heart disease awareness, was introduced six years ago by the NHLBI and is aimed to remind women of any age to protect their hearts by taking action.

Visit www.hearttruth.com for more information on how to join in the awareness of heart disease in women.

– Brittany Wasko