National Wear Red Day to Raise Awareness About Cardiovascular Disease

Senators Hirono and Murkowski led women Senators in observing National Wear Red Day, which brings attention to the importance of women’s heart health. Courtesy photo.

Sens. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) led a bipartisan resolution designating February 2017 as American Heart Month and Feb. 3, 2017, as National Wear Red Day.

“Heart disease kills three out of every 10 people in Hawai‘i and one in three nationwide, including a significant number of women and minorities,” said Sen. Hirono. “The bipartisan support of this resolution is a testament to the commitment by our nation’s lawmakers to raise awareness about the prevalence and severity of cardiovascular disease, and the importance of research, prevention and treatment.”

“Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of woman in the United States,” said Sen. Murkowski. “I passionately believe that we must do all we can to enable our women, families and healthcare providers with the tools and know how to confront heart disease head on. There is still so much we have to learn about this disease and how it affects women. I will continue to work hard to support the efforts by the American Heart Association and others to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women. ”

“We are pleased that so many members of Congress joined together to co-sponsor this important resolution. Our tremendous thanks to Sens. Hirono and Murkowski, who were integral in its reintroduction,” said American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown. “Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 and most costly killer of Americans. It causes one in three deaths among women each year—more than all cancers combined. This resolution brings much-needed awareness to these perils of CVD and helps us remind all Americans to focus on their heart health not only during February, but every day of their lives.”

“Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading risk of death and major disability in Hawaii, and more women in Hawaii die of stroke than men,” said American Heart Association-Hawaii Division Executive Director Lori Suan, MPH. “Fortunately, we have an opportunity to change that because 80 percent of cardiovascular diseases are preventable through lifestyle improvements. National Wear Red Day is designed to raise awareness that we all can make improvements to our health.”

The resolution is also cosponsored by Sens .Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

Click here to read the full resolution, which emphasizes that heart disease affects individuals of every age and supports research and advocacy to fight heart disease and stroke. The resolution also supports National Wear Red Day, which has brought attention to the importance of women’s heart health since 2003. The resolution calls special attention to how cardiovascular disease impacts minority women and calls particular attention to the serious health risks it presents among Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other indigenous populations.