National Wear Red Day

The first Friday of February every year is National Wear Red Day. Wear Red Day is organized with the aim of raising awareness about cardiovascular disease among women. Wear Red Day is actually a campaign, calling on women to learn about cardiovascular disease risks and ways to prevent heart disease.

Today cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries, yet less than 50% of women are aware that cardiovascular disease is the biggest threat to their health.

The incidence of coronary heart disease in men at a given age will be similar to the incidence rate in older women over 10 years. However, the number of cases is higher in older women than in younger men.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, higher than breast cancer. This is a general term for conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. The most common cause of cardiovascular disease in women is the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Plaque can harden and narrow the arteries, often called atherosclerosis. Unusual fatigue is a common sign of heart disease in women.

Some risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women cannot be changed. However, the remaining factors can be overcome by lifestyle changes or treatment of related diseases. It is important to recognize the early signs of heart disease in women so that prompt treatment can be given. Specifically, the following people are often at high risk for the disease, and need to be screened regularly:

Elderly: Women between the ages of 55 and 64 who have gone through menopause are at higher risk.

People with high blood pressure: Blood pressure can be understood as the pressure exerted by the heart when pumping blood through the blood vessels to the organ systems and tissues. Excessively high blood pressure (a condition called hypertension) can damage the walls of blood vessels, allowing plaque to form. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women and the most common risk factor for stroke. Therefore, women should check their blood pressure regularly to promptly treat as soon as the disease is detected.

People with abnormal levels of Triglycerides and Cholesterol: Triglycerides are the most common form of fat in the body, and play a role in providing energy for the activities of the organ system. Cholesterol is the building block of cells and hormones. To put it simply, there are two types of cholesterol in the body: good and bad. Good cholesterol (HDL, or High Density Lipoprotein) helps prevent cardiovascular disease in women by collecting cholesterol in the blood and sending it to the liver for destruction. Bad cholesterol (mainly LDL, or low-density lipoprotein) triggers the body's immune response, causing inflammation. Inflammation causes plaque buildup in the arteries and eventually atherosclerosis.

Diabetics: High blood sugar levels that get out of control can lead to many health problems, including cardiovascular disease. Common causes of type 2 diabetes include: Being overweight, lack of exercise, abnormal cholesterol, and higher-than-normal blood sugar levels.

People with an unhealthy lifestyle: Having a habit of smoking, being lazy to exercise and being overweight.

In fact, people with cardiovascular disease, if they have a suitable body weight, are very good for the body's recovery process after the disease. Especially obese people, not only increase the burden on the heart, but also lead to high blood pressure, damage to the coronary arteries, dangerous to health. Besides medication, prevention by proper diet and exercise is very important but effective.

History of National Wear Red Day

In 2004, American Heart Association launched a campaign to raise awareness of women about cardiovascular disease, from which Wear Red Day was born.

Observing National Wear Red Day

On Wear Red Day, put on a red dress and post it on social media with the hashtag #NationalWearRedDay, as a way to spread this campaign to everyone around. You can also make a donation to raise funds for awareness raising and research. Visit the American Heart Association website to learn more about cardiovascular knowledge.