Go Red For Women to Host Event Celebrating the Choice to Live Heart Healthy
April 29, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – April 29, 2009 – Statistics prove that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, and stroke is number three. Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion, and power of women to band together and wipe out heart disease.
We face choices every day. Some choices are un-important, some are life-changing. But what if the choices you thought were small were actually the ones that mattered?
The Go Red For Women Luncheon takes a critical step toward raising women’s awareness that heart disease is their number one cause of death. Women who understand their risks of heart disease, and know the steps to prevent it, are better equipped to avert this serious and largely preventable threat to their health.
“Promoting heart-healthy lifestyles among the women of the Midlands is vitally important work,” said Dr. Donna Richter, executive director of the South Carolina Public Health Institute and chair of the Midlands 2009 Go Red for Women Campaign. “We must work together to spread the message of prevention.”
This year’s Luncheon will be held on May 7, 2009 at the Columbia Conference Center. Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. followed by a Town Hall Panel Discussion and educational breakout sessions including “Yoga for a Healthy Heart and Stress Management” and “What Does Stress Feel Like to Your Heart”.
“Knowing the risk factors for heart disease is the first step in preventing it,” added Richter. “Women, who so often focus on caring for others, must learn to focus on their own health and reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke.”
The Importance of Heart Disease Awareness and Personal Risk Assessment
Many American women remain unaware that heart disease is their No. 1 killer, even though more than 42 million American women are living with one or more types of cardiovascular disease. According to the most recent data, cardiovascular disease caused approximately one death per minute among females. That is why the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement seeks to build awareness of this deadly disease and challenge women to take action to reduce their personal risk.
For tickets call Joanna Hiller at (803) 806-3022 or [email protected]
Learn more about the Go Red For Women movement at www.GoRedForWomen.org.
About Go Red For Women
Since 2004, Go Red For Women has captured the energy, passion and intelligence of women to work collectively to wipe out heart disease — the No. 1 killer of women. We want millions of women across America to take heart disease personally. Using the platform “Love Your Heart,” Go Red For Women engages women and the men who love them to embrace the cause. Healthcare providers, celebrities and politicians also elevate the cause and spread the word about women and heart disease. For more information about Go Red For Women, please call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278) or visit www.GoRedForWomen.org. The movement is nationally sponsored by Macy’s and Merck & Co., Inc.
About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. These diseases, America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and all other cardiovascular diseases claim nearly 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2007–08 the association invested more than $559 million in research, professional and public education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit www.americanheart.org.
