“The Heart Truth” campaign was started by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to increase awareness of heart disease in women in the US and has been having some measure of success. As of the year 2000 only about 30% of American women were aware of the fact that heart disease is a major killer of women in the United States. Heart disease had always been seen as a disease of overworked middle-aged men and most women had no idea that they had a high risk of developing it as they got older.

Awareness rose to about 55% in 2005 which was a definite improvement over the previous years. But there is still a major problem facing this campaign. Most women do not make the connection between high risks for developing heart disease in women in the general population and their own personal risk factors and lifestyle choices.

So what is “The Heart Truth”?

The Heart Truth is that “Heart disease doesn’t care what you wear – it’s the #1 killer of American women “

To expand on this, let’s look at some figures:

• Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women.
• One in every three women dies of heart disease while one in 30 dies of breast cancer.
• Women’s heart disease risk starts to rise in middle age.
• About 3 million American women have had a heart attack.
• Two-thirds of American women who have had a heart attack don’t make a full recovery.
• Nearly two-thirds of American women who die suddenly of a heart attack had no prior symptoms.
• Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent just by leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Only 55 percent of women are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.

In 2003 the “Red Dress” symbol was introduced as the symbol for “The Heart Truth”
campaign to remind women that:

• heart disease and stroke are major causes of death in women,
• that you can reduce your own personal risk with changes in your lifestyle
• that the changes need to start today!

National Wear Red day is observed on the first Friday in the month of February.

“The Heart Truth” campaign is targeted mainly at women between the ages of 40 and 60 years, when the heart disease risk rises dramatically. However, younger women need to pay attention because it starts gradually, and older women need to know that it’s never too late to start thinking about how to have a healthy heart.
If you have heart disease already you can still make changes to improve the quality of your life.

Throughout this month I’ll be asking and hopefully answering a couple of questions:

• What is heart disease and what are the various diseases included in this term?
• What are the risk factors for heart disease?
• What are the questions you need to ask your doctor?
• What are the changes you may need to make to have a healthy heart?

Do you have any experiences or advice you want to share? Please join the conversation.