| Do you know The Heart Truth®?  When you hear the words "heart disease" do you think, "That's a man's disease"? Think again! The Heart Truth® is that 1 in 4 American women dies of heart disease.
More than 75 percent of women aged 40 to 60 have one or more risk factors for heart disease. While there are some risk factors you can't control, like age and family history, there are many other risk factors that you can control. These include smoking, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, being overweight, and lack of physical activity. Having just one risk factor doubles your risk of heart disease. Having two risk factors increases your risk of heart disease fourfold. Having three or more risk factors increases your risk of heart disease more than tenfold. Learn more about heart disease in women. Celebrate with The Heart Truth® throughout American Heart Month This February, join The Heart Truth® to raise awareness of the #1 killer of women—heart disease. From an inspiring Red Dress Collection Fashion Show in New York City to local community events and awareness activities, Americans will come together to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. The National Wear Red Day® Twitter Party You are invited to The Heart Truth®'s Twitter party celebrating National Wear Red Day®! Show your support for women's heart disease awareness by posting a message, photo, tip, or other heart health related tweet and sharing it with your followers. Simply add the campaign hashtag (#TheHeartTruth) after every relevant tweet, and your messages will be streamed into the official Twitter party. Date: Friday, February 4
Time: 3–4 p.m. EST
Where: @TheHeartTruth You also can follow The Heart Truth® (@TheHeartTruth) on Twitter and receive free, informative tweets about women's heart health from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Here are other ways to show your support throughout American Heart Month: - Post your photos to the National Wear Red Day® Flickr® group pool. Tag your photos NationalWearRedDay and TheHeartTruth.
- Join fans of The Heart Truth® on Facebook.
- Pledge to take action by learning more about heart disease.
- Plan an event with help from The Heart Truth® Online Toolkit.
Voices from the heart Do you still think heart disease won't happen to you? "I lost my mom to heart problems on September 11, 2005. This disease took my best friend, my confidant, my soft place to land." "Ladies, please, please listen to your bodies. I had a major heart attack last year and had absolutely NO symptoms. The only thing that alerted me to a problem was a thought that said 'heart attack.' I told my husband I didn't feel good (even though I felt physically fine) and he went to get the car to take me home. However, after he left I asked someone to call 9–1–1. They asked me if I was having chest pains and I said yes (even though I was NOT). After the ambulance came, both of my arms started to feel real heavy and uncomfortable. No pain, just discomfort. I was taken to one hospital where the ER doctor told me I was having 'the widowmaker,' where my LAD was completely blocked and they couldn't do anything for me. So they put me in another ambulance and took me to [another hospital], where I had a cardiac catheterization and three stents put in. After the heart attack I developed a 'fluttering' and then had to have an ICD implanted. My father had died of a massive heart attack at age 38 and my grandfather died at 52 of a heart attack. I have four brothers and always thought that one of them would have the heart attack, not me! Needless to say, my daughters have learned some valuable lessons from their mother. Listen to your body!" "I was misdiagnosed by two doctors as having acid reflux. I had all the typical symptoms, chest pain, pain in back and left arm, pain in jaw. 3 days later went to emergency having a heart attack. PLEASE NEVER IGNORE WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT." "My mom just died as a result of severe heart damage by a suspected 'silent heart attack.' We need to get the message to women that this is not only a man's disease and symptoms are not always obvious. I am certainly becoming 'heart aware.'" "I am so shocked that I had a heart attack at age 55. I, the person who has never had a fast food burger or anything fried in my life. I grew up eating so healthy and am proud to get up every morning and swim a 1/4 daily. I had quadruple bypass surgery a year and a half ago. It was difficult for me to sit in the waiting room knowing that I had thought I was in the best of health with eating properly and exercising. I did not want to be identified with the people in the waiting room who were smokers and overweight—the typical person you would think would be prone to heart disease. I found out that because of radiation treatment I had 30-plus years ago, they felt that this contributed to my problem. Funny, I was almost relieved that it wasn't my diet and that I needed to exercise more. I want everyone to know that each day is more special than the last and look forward to tomorrow. I am feeling terrific. I thank everyone involved for my recovery. I have a new life." Popular resources  The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women - The Heart Truth® Wallet Card
- Podcasts on heart disease, heart disease risk factors, heart attack, and high blood pressure
- The Red Dress® tack pin
The top photo shows The Heart Truth® 2009 Red Dress Collection from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. The fashion show paired America's top designers with 20 "Women With Heart," including (from left to right) Daisy Fuentes for Pamella Roland, Vivica A. Fox for Jenny Packham, Hilary Duff for Donna Karan, and Lynda Carter for Carolina Herrera. ®The Heart Truth, its logo, and The Red Dress are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
® National Wear Red Day is a registered trademark of HHS and the American Heart Association.
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