While Valentine’s Day is later this month, plenty of Iowans will be seeing red today (Friday) instead. This is National Wear Red Day, an effort to attract attention to heart disease, which kills 12-thousand Iowans a year. Cindy Hughes, spokeswoman for the Iowa chapter of the American Heart Association, says women in particular are encouraged to wear red today.
Hughes says it’s a nationwide movement that started in 2004 to empower women to love and save their hearts through livestyle choices and actions. As a show of support and a conversation starter, Hughes encourages Iowans to wear something red today — be it a shirt or blouse, pants, a hat, a tie or socks. Hughes says Wear Red Day is a fun way to show support for heart disease prevention as it’s the number-one killer of men and women in Iowa and in the U.S. She says it’s not only a fund-raiser but an awareness-builder.
Hughes says while too few people realize that heart disease is so deadly, the good news is that heart disease can largely be prevented. She says doctors recommend people work out 30 minutes a day which can translate to walking for three miles a day. Also, eat better, watch what you eat and eat in moderation. For more information, call your nearest American Heart Association chapter or call 888-My-Heart or surf to “www.GoRedForWomen.org”.