News and Events
American Heart Month: Wear red and send us your photos on Fridays in February
Published: Jan. 23, 2024
Did you know that cardiovascular disease (CVD) claims more lives each year in the United States than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) combined? And on average, someone dies of CVD every 33 seconds in the U.S.
Specifically, heart disease claims the lives of one in three women. This means our mothers, sisters and friends are dying because they don't know what you know: Heart disease kills.
February is American Heart Month, and Methodist Health System employees are invited to wear red every Friday this month to show their support and raise awareness about cardiovascular disease. Wear a red shirt, red shoes, red scrubs — anything red will do, subject to your department’s dress code.
Send photos of your team sporting its best red to @email, and you may just see yourself on social media!
Heart Disease Facts
- In 2020, coronary heart disease (CHD) was the leading cause (41.2%) of deaths attributable to CVD in the United States, followed by stroke (17.3%), other CVD (16.8%), high blood pressure (12.9%), heart failure (9.2%), diseases of the arteries (2.6%).
- Among females 20 and older, nearly 45% have some form of cardiovascular disease.
- CVD accounted for approximately 19 million global deaths in 2020.
- The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and they are often misunderstood.
- Most cardiac and stroke events can be prevented through education and lifestyle changes, such as moving more, eating smart and managing blood pressure.
For information about Methodist cardiology services, click here.
Go Red for Women
The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement was launched in 2004 with the goal of raising awareness and fighting a woman’s greatest heath threat – cardiovascular disease. Today, Go Red for Women not only advocates for the health of all women, funds lifesaving research and educates women across the United States and around the world, but it's also committed to removing the unique barriers women face to experiencing better health and well-being.