We know it as the color of danger. But in this case, red is also the color of awareness. Dressing in red, wearing a brightly colored accessory to remind women not to neglect their heart, is in fact the goal of Wear Red Day, the Women’s Heart Health Awareness Day, which takes place every year on February 2 thanks to the initiative of the American Heart Association, also aimed at raising funds for research on cardiovascular diseases.
The numbers of women’s “hearts”
The numbers speak for themselves: worldwide, diseases such as heart attack or stroke kill one woman every 80 seconds, and are responsible every year for one in three deaths among women, that is, more than all cancers combined. But few women know this: only 44% of women, in fact, are aware that cardiovascular diseases are the greatest threat to their health.
And not only in the United States. That women are more exposed than men to the risk of heart disease is also shown by the Italian data released by the Centro Cardiologico Monzino in Milan, which takes part in Wear Red Day. According to the Center’s experts, in our country 124,000 women every year suffer a heart attack or another cardiovascular disease.
Prevention that saves lives
The reasons also lie in the change in hormonal balance before and during menopause, a period that marks an increase in cardiovascular risk factors. This is why it is important to know the state of one’s heart health and to act early with prevention: because, the Monzino experts point out, 20% of these deaths could be avoided through lifestyle changes. So: a healthy diet, weight control, the right amount of movement and physical activity, and above all no smoking (women who smoke are up to five times more likely than male smokers to develop arterial damage and cardiovascular disease). To know the state of health of the heart and blood vessels, it is also advisable to undergo certain tests regularly from as early as age 35, because they could make it possible to detect risk factors or diseases at their onset. These include measuring blood pressure, cholesterol levels, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose and homocysteine values.
Mental well-being matters too
In addition to physical health, it is also important to take care of mental well-being: several scientific studies show how stress can have a negative impact on health, including heart health. But also how a life rich in friendships and emotional bonds (or with a pet) can help keep the heart muscle in shape. Depression is an important cardiovascular risk factor, while those who share their home with a dog or a cat recover more quickly after a stroke or heart attack.
SoLongevity research has long been committed to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular prevention and well-being.
