National Wear Red Day is February 5

Mayville, NY - As part of a nationwide effort to spread the word about women and heart disease, the Chautauqua County Health Department will join thousands of Americans in celebrating National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 5, 2010. You, your family, friends, and coworkers are also encouraged to wear red to unite in the national movement to give women a personal and urgent wakeup call about their risk of heart disease.

A simple Red Dress works as a visual red alert to get the message heard loud and clear: "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear-It's the #1 Killer of Women." One in every three women dies of heart disease. One in 30 dies of breast cancer. Two-thirds of American women who have had a heart attack don't make a full recovery.

"Women often do not take their risk of heart disease seriously and fail to make the connection between risk factors and their own chance of developing heart disease," said Christine Schuyler, County Public Health Director. "Some of the risk factors for heart disease are smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, being overweight, physical inactivity, and a family history. The good news is, one can lower their risk of heart disease significantly just by adopting healthy lifestyle habits," added Schuyler.

For more information about National Wear Red Day activities and The Heart Truth, including downloadable materials on women and heart disease and ordering information for a Red Dress Pin, please visit www.hearttruth.gov or go to the Chautauqua County Health Department website at: http://www.co.chautauqua.ny.us/departments/health/Pages/default.aspx\