34 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • FEBRUARY 6, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
National Wear Red Day
Th e American Heart Association, the
world’s leading nonprofi t organization
focused on heart and brain health for all,
together with its signature movement, Go
Red for Women, encourages you to ‘wear
red and give’ today on National Wear Red
Day to raise awareness of cardiovascular
disease: women’s greatest health threat.
Cardiovascular disease kills one woman
every 80 seconds and takes 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.
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
diff erently 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.Th
e American Heart Association’s Go
Red for Women movement, nationally
sponsored by CVS Health and New York
City Go Red sponsors are the Elizabeth
Elting Foundation, Rewire Me by Rose
Caiola and UBS. Additional local support
comes from Estée Lauder, G-III Apparel
Group, Ltd., Montefi ore, Mount Sinai
Heart, Northwell Health, NYU Langone,
Pfi zer and Valerie Wilson Travel and
through the month of February to help
save lives of women around the world.
Here’s how you can join Go Red for
Women in support of women’s health:
• Wear red on National Wear Red Day,
Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 to raise awareness
about cardiovascular disease – the leading
cause of death in women. Th e iconic
Red Dress Pin and other apparel at is
available at ShopHeart.org.
• Make a donation to support the lifesaving
work of the American Heart
Association at WearRedDay.org.
• CVS Health is the national sponsor of
the American Heart Association’s Go
Red for Women Movement and will be
off ering no-cost heart-health screenings
at MinuteClinic® locations nationwide
every Th ursday in February.
• Sign up to participate in the lifesaving
clinical trial research through the
American Heart Association’s Go Red
for Women movement and Verily’s
Project Baseline: Research Goes Red
initiative.
• Join the conversation by using
#WearRedAndGive on social media.
Cardiovascular diseases continue to
be a woman’s greatest health threat. To
treat, beat and prevent heart disease and
stroke, women should understand family
health history, know their fi ve 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.
— Courtesy of American Heart
Association
Living longer is important, but years need to be healthy ones
BY MEG GILMARTIN
With another American Heart Month
and National Wear Red Day upon us,
we at the American Heart Association in
New York City are excited about this new
opportunity to raise awareness about cardiovascular
disease and stroke. As the
new Executive Director, I would like to
express how thrilled I am to begin this
role.
I owe a huge thank you to our local
Board of Directors, our dedicated volunteers
and the committed staff who have
made this transition seamless. As a resident
of New York City, it is an honor
to serve my neighbors, all 8.6 million of
them!
During American Heart Month each
February, the nation comes together,
igniting a wave of red from coast to coast.
From landmarks to news anchors and
neighborhoods to online communities;
this annual groundswell unites millions
of people for a common goal: the eradication
of heart disease and stroke. Among
our goals this month is to increase awareness
that heart disease is the leading cause
of death in women through media stories,
local events and grassroots activations.
Th is is a time to celebrate the recent
reports that show heart disease and stroke
deaths continue to decline. But it is also a
time to recognize that more people are living
in poor health, beginning at a younger
age, as a direct result of risk factors that
contribute to these leading causes of death
worldwide.
Th is American Heart Month is also a
good time to look forward and announce
our 2030 Impact Goal for our city, the
United States and globally, which is to
help all people live healthier for more
years of their life. Th e Association will
develop new collaborations with organizations
and communities across the city
that focus on overall health and well-being
while addressing equity among everyone
no matter their race, ethnicity, income
or other demographic or geographic characteristics.
Like John Warner, M.D., the former
American Heart Association president
said, “To improve individual health, we
must make the environments where we
live, work, learn and play equitably supportive
of healthy behaviors. We also
need to help people better understand
the impact their communities have in
driving choices for health and well-being.”
I want everyone of all ages and backgrounds
to be healthy and experience
every simple joy, make every heartfelt
memory and celebrate every special
occasion. To accomplish this goal, we’ll
be inviting more people to the table, but
even more importantly, we’re asking likeminded
stakeholders to invite us in — let
us help be a catalyst bringing together
elements that can create a healthier city
for everyone.
I would like to thank Schneps Media
for their continued commitment to fi ghting
cardiovascular disease and improving
the health of the communities they serve.
I look forward with great anticipation
to the year ahead, meeting and working
with volunteers and supporters old and
new. Happy Heart Month!
Meg Gilmartin is the executive director
of the American Heart Association in
New York City
Go Red for
Women
movement
urges women
to take action
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