Press conference to be held on Valentine’s Day at Portland City Hall hosted by Mayor Snyder
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, together with its signature movement, Go Red for Women®, encourages you to wear red to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease: women’s greatest health threat.
A Go Red for Women press conference will be held on Friday, February 14 from 11 AM – noon at Portland City Hall’s Council Chambers. Association volunteers will wear red to show their support and will hear from Portland Mayor Kate Snyder, a local heart disease survivor and cardiologist for tips on how to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Cardiovascular diseases continue to be a woman’s greatest health threat, killing one woman every 80 seconds and taking more lives than all forms of cancer combined. Heart disease and stroke also impact the lives of one in three women – or a third of mothers, sisters and friends – and cardiac events are on the rise in young women in their 20s.
To treat, beat and prevent heart disease and stroke, women should understand family health history, know their five key personal health numbers – these help determine risk for heart disease and stroke: total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index – and make healthy behavior changes like moving more, eating smart and managing blood pressure. CVS Health, the national sponsor of the Go Red for Women Movement, will be offering no-cost heart-health screenings at MinuteClinic® locations nationwide every Thursday in February.
While 80 percent of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented through modest changes to diet and lifestyle, disparities in care for women’s heart and brain health continue to exist. In addition, heart disease and stroke symptoms can present differently in women compared to men. Women also make up less than half of all clinical trial participants globally, with women of color only accounting for three percent. As a result, more research is needed to close gender disparity gaps when it comes to cardiovascular research, treatment and care.
The Association’s Go Red for Women movement, nationally sponsored by CVS Health and locally sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, encourage you to show your support by wearing red and giving throughout the month of February to help save lives of women around the world. Join the conversation by using #GoRedMaine on social media.