Forum on women’s heart disease to mark National Wear Red Day Feb. 3

A special forum for community leaders to increase awareness about heart disease in women will be held to observe National Wear Red Day, Friday, Feb. 3 — a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness.

Sponsored by the UC Davis Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine Program, the forum will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel.

“More women die of heart disease than all cancers combined, yet less than half of women identify heart disease as the greatest health problem facing women today and most fail to make the connection between its risk factors and their personal risk of developing heart disease,” said Amparo Villablanca, director of the UC Davis Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine Program. Villablanca, a national leader in women’s heart health, is the forum’s keynote speaker.

National Wear Red Day is an annual event held on the first Friday in February. On this day, women and men across the country will wear red to unite in the national movement to give women a personal and urgent wake-up call about their risk of heart disease. Everyone can participate by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, tie, or by wearing the Red Dress Pin, available at www.hearttruth.gov.

UC Davis Health System employees are encouraged to join this national effort by wearing red on February 3, and urging their family, friends and coworkers to do the same.

By participating in National Wear Red Day, UC Davis Health System is joining “The Heart Truth,” a national awareness campaign to alert women about their risk for heart disease and motivate them to take steps to lower their risk.

The centerpiece of the campaign is the Red Dress — the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness. A simple Red Dress works as a visual red alert to get the message heard loud and clear: "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear — It's the #1 Killer of Women."

Sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the campaign is reaching women with important heart health messages in community settings through a diverse network of national and grass roots partner organizations.

10 Heart Healthy Action Steps You Can Take

• Share what you have learned about heart disease risk and its signs and symptoms
• “Know your numbers” for cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar
• Adopt a heart healthy lifestyle: walk 10,000 Steps a day—eat a heart healthy, low-sodium diet—manage your weight
• Call 9-1-1 if you experience any of the warning signs or symptoms of a heart attack or stroke
• Stay informed and let UC Davis be your resource for Heart Healthy facts and information
• Wear the red dress pin and spread its message: “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What you Wear- It is the Number One Killer for Women”
• Help fight heart disease by participating in heart disease education and prevention efforts. Get involved!
• Make a contribution to support women’s heart care at UC Davis
• Remember that a happy heart starts with a healthy heart!