Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women because it’s not just a man’s disease.
One out of every three deaths among women in the U.S. each year is attributed to cardiovascular diseases including heart disease and stroke, making it the No. 1 killer of women in this country and causing more fatalities than all forms of cancer combined, according to the American Heart Association. However, only one in five American women believes that heart disease is her greatest health threat. In an effort to raise awareness of heart disease and empower women with the necessary tools to lead heart healthy lives, the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women and the Ad Council are launching a new public service advertising (PSA) campaign today as an extension of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” movement.
An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by cardiovascular disease,resulting in over 400,000 deaths each year, according to the American Heart Association. The symptoms of cardiovascular disease, such as shortness of breath, nausea, back pain and sweating, can be easy to miss and sometimes not outwardly apparent, causing it to be known as a “silent killer.” However, by knowing the risk factors and taking simple steps like stop smoking, regular physical activity, eating a heart healthy diet and blood pressure monitoring,women can decrease their chances of heart illness.
“Heart disease claims the life of nearly one woman in the United States every minute,”said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “However, many many women continue to falsely believe the disease is one that just targets men or the elderly and don’t take enough action to reduce their personal risk.Together, with longstanding partners the American Heart Association and Warner Brothers, we know we can have an impact on this critical health issue.”
The American Heart Association established “Go Red For Women” in 2004 to encourage women to know their risk factors and adopt healthy lifestyle practices to help prevent heart disease. Since the creation of the program, more than two million women have participated by taking the “Go Red Heart Check Up” and an estimated 627,000 lives have been saved.
The Ad Council and the American Heart Association have a long history of working together to improve awareness and education around important health issues in the U.S. including stroke awareness and hands-only CPR education. The new PSAs launching today mark their first partnership on behalf of Go Red For Women.Following the Ad Council’s model, the new PSAs will be distributed to 33,000 media outlets nationwide this month. The ads will air and run in advertising time and space entirely donated by the media.
Visit www.goredforwomen.org for additional information.