What’s Cardiovascular Disease?

CVD is heart and blood vessel diseases —

diseases that affect the circulatory system.
Examples
• Coronary heart disease (heart attack)
• Cerebrovascular disease (stroke and TIA)
• High blood pressure
• Congestive heart failure
• Congenital cardiovascular defects
• Peripheral vascular disease
CVD Claims 500,000 Women’s
Lives Every Year
• CVD — kills more women than the next 7
causes of death combined
• Breast cancer — kills 1 in 30 women
• CVD — kills 1 of every 2.5 women
Women, Heart Disease and Stroke

• Heart disease is women’s No. 1 killer

• Stroke is women’s No. 3 killer
What Women Don’t Know

• Coronary heart disease rates in women rise

2-3 times after menopause
• Blacks are at higher risk than whites
• 1 of 3 Hispanic females dies of diseases of
the heart and stroke
Survey History

• In 1997, AHA launched a major public

awareness campaign on women and
heart disease
• In 2000 and 2003, follow-up surveys were
done
2003 Survey Findings
• Cancer still perceived as women’s leading
health problem
• Women under age 45 and certain
racial/ethnic groups had lower awareness
that heart disease is women’s No. 1 killer
• Women know of CVD risk factors in general
but often not their own risks
Go Red For Women
This campaign helps women discover unique
lifesaving power by learning about heart
disease and stroke and taking positive action
to reduce their risk
Go Red For Women
Sponsored nationally by

With educational grants from

Campaign Goals
• To raise awareness
• To prevent heart disease and stroke
• To save lives
Enroll and Benefit
• 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278)
• americanheart.org
• Choose To Move and Simple Solutions
• Buy designated products from stores listed
at the Go Red For Women Web site; part of
the revenue supports our association
Impact of the February 2004
Campaign Launch
• Media Impressions — more than 800 million
• Contact Center — 32,397 calls in a week
• Web Site —
visitors doubled
Why We Need Go Red For Women

High Blood Pressure (HBP)…

The Silent Killer
Women age 20 and older who have HBP:
• White females — 30%
• Black/African-American females — 45%
• Mexican-American
females — 30%
HBP — Learn Your Numbers
• Systolic pressure (the higher number) —
pressure in arteries when the heart beats
• Diastolic pressure — pressure when the
heart rests between beats
• HBP
– Systolic pressure of
140 mm Hg or more
– Or diastolic pressure of
90 mm Hg or more (or both)
on two or more occasions
Why We Need Go Red For Women

Unhealthy Cholesterol Levels

Women age 20 and older with blood
cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or higher:
• White females — 54%
• Black females — 46%
• Mexican-American
females — 45%
Do You Know Your Total
Cholesterol Numbers?
Less than 200 mg/dL — Desirable (lower risk)
200–239 mg/dL — Borderline high (higher risk)
240 mg/dL and above — High blood
cholesterol, more than twice the risk of
desirable level
Note: Cholesterol levels are measured
in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per
deciliter (dL) of blood.
Why We Need Go Red For Women

Smoking
• Smoking is the single most
preventable cause of death in the US
• 21 percent of American women age 18
and older smoke — 22.6 million women
Smoking
• If you don’t smoke, don’t start
• If you smoke, quit
• Avoid others’ tobacco smoke
Why We Need Go Red For Women

Physical Inactivity
Inactive women:
• White females — 36%
• Black females — 55%
• Hispanic females — 57%
• Asian/Pacific Islander
females — 46%
Physical Inactivity
• Increases heart disease and stroke risk
• 30 minutes or more of activity on most or all
days of the week helps
reduce risk by controlling
blood cholesterol, diabetes
and obesity and helping to
lower HBP
Why We Need Go Red For Women

Obesity / Overweight
• Overweight/obese women age 20 and
older:
• White females — 57%
• Black females — 77%
• Mexican-American
females — 72%
Why We Need Go Red For Women

Diabetes
• American females with physician-diagnosed
diabetes — 5.5%
• American females with undiagnosed
diabetes — 2.5%
• Total American women age 20 and older
with diabetes — 6 million
What Is Diabetes?
• A progressive disease in which your body
doesn’t make enough insulin / doesn’t
respond properly to it
• Defined as a fasting glucose of 126
milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more
Why Is Diabetes Bad?
• 66-75% of people with diabetes die of some
form of CVD
• Diabetes lowers “good” cholesterol, and
raises “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride
levels
• Many people with diabetes also have high
blood pressure and are overweight
Go Red For Women Helps More
Women Know Their Risk
• Learn your risk factors
• Live a healthy lifestyle to reduce them
• Know the warning signs of heart attack and
stroke
Heart Attack Warning Signs
• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing,
fullness or pain in the center of the chest
that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes
away and returns
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the
back, neck, jaw or stomach
• Shortness of breath with or before chest
discomfort
• Cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
Stroke Warning Signs
• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face,
arm or leg, especially on one side of the
body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or
understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of
balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known
cause
 Go Red
For Women!
Become a Health Champion!
• Sign up for Go Red today by calling 1-888-
MY-HEART or visiting americanheart.org
• Enroll in Choose To Move and Simple
Solutions
• Attend your local Go Red luncheon to help
raise funds for heart disease research
• Contact your local AHA to learn how to get
involved in your community