National Wear Red Day raises awareness about heart disease in women

(WNDU) - Feb. 3 is National Wear Red Day to raise awareness about heart disease in women.

Heart disease and stroke cause one in three deaths among women each year, and that’s more than all cancers combined. According to the American Heart Association, 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.

Today is the American Heart Association’s 22nd annual Wear Red Day, and all over the country, including here at WNDU, people are wearing red to raise awareness about heart disease.

One in three Americans dies from cardiovascular disease, making it the leading cause of death in the U.S.

Indiana ranks 3rd highest in the number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 people (351)

More than 19,000 Hoosiers died from cardiovascular disease in 2020, or nearly four times the current seating capacity of Four Winds Field.

The American Heart Association identifies eight factors for ideal heart health called Life’s Essential Eight. They are diet, exercise, body weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, smoking, and sleep.

So, what should someone do if they see someone experiencing cardiac arrest?

“So first thing, call 911,” CEO of Heart City Health Esleen Fultz says. “At the very least, you want to do that to save time, but the second thing you can do then is to do hands-only CPR. That is very critical because we know that 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur within the home, so learning that gives you the opportunity to save the life of someone that you love.”

She further explained that a few songs sync up to the timing of chest compressions.

“In going through the hands-only CPR, there is a rhythm, and that rhythm is tied to a particular song, which is very unusual to think of that when you’re in the middle of an emergency,” Fultz added. “The song from the Bee Gees, Stayin’ Alive; if you’re administering the compressions to that beat, then you know that you’re in a rhythm and you’re following the best possible process for helping that person to potentially survive.”

The American Heart Association says women need to do three things:

• Know your risk - There are some risk factors we can’t do anything about, so women need to educate themselves about themselves. Know if they have a family history of heart disease, know that health issues in the past can lead to other issues in the future, and understand that age, gender, and race can all weigh into your heart health.
• Know your numbers – You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Managing blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and BMI are critical to preventing heart disease.
• Commit to better health - move more, eat smart, and manage your blood pressure.

You can participate in National Wear Red Day by doing the following:

• Wearing something red
• Taking two minutes to learn hands-only CPR
• Sharing the message on social media with #WearRedDay

You can also donate to research and education efforts. For more information on how to donate or to learn CPR, click here.

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