Upcoming NHLBI activities in recognition of American Heart Month

Dr. Susan Shurin - February 1, 2012

February marks American Heart Month, a time to reflect on the sobering fact that heart disease remains the #1 killer of American women and men—and a time to celebrate those who are working to advance heart disease research and care as well as raise awareness of heart disease risk factors and ways to reduce them.

This month, the NHLBI reaffirms its commitment to helping Americans take steps to reduce their risk of developing heart disease. The Institute has partnered with Million Hearts, a national initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and co-led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. Through The Heart Truth® campaign, the NHLBI continues to make great strides in raising women's awareness of heart disease and motivating them to find out their personal risk and take action to reduce it. The campaign is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Meanwhile, NHLBI-supported researchers are working hard to increase our knowledge of heart disease and to develop improved methods for its prevention and treatment.

During February, the NHLBI and many of its partners are hosting activities to celebrate a decade of progress and to continue to urge American women to take charge of their heart health. Highlights include:

This Friday, Feb. 3, is National Wear Red Day®, an opportunity for Americans to unite in a life-saving movement. Wearing red evokes the Red Dress, the national symbol for women's heart disease awareness that The Heart Truth created in 2002 to remind women of the need to protect their heart health and inspire them to take action to do so. I hope you will support this cause by wearing a red dress, shirt, tie, or pin on Friday and by telling your friends and family to wear red as well.
I will participate in a heart health Twitter chat on Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. alongside the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin; Million Hearts Executive Director Dr. Janet Wright; and representatives from the American Heart Association. Also joining me will be the NHLBI Office of Global Health Deputy Director Dr. Cristina Rabadán-Diehl, who will be tweeting in Spanish. Go to https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23heartchat to follow along.
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, with the support of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), The Heart Truth will showcase its signature event, the Red Dress Collection 2012 to kick off Fashion Week in New York City. For the 10th year, the show will serve as a red alert to women that "heart disease doesn't care what you wear."

Events like these raise awareness, and awareness leads to action. Increasing numbers of Americans know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, and with your help spreading The Heart Truth, those numbers will rise higher still. Put your heart into it!

To learn more about American Heart Month activities, read today's news release and check out these other resources as well:

Presidential Proclamation – American Heart Month, 2012
Elevated risk factors linked to major cardiovascular disease events across a lifetime
Million Hearts
National Wear Red Day
Red Dress Collection 2012
HHS.gov homepage
NHLBI on Facebook and Twitter
The Heart Truth on Facebook and Twitter

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