Go Red for women: Raising awareness of women’s heart health

Every year, you can expect to see people decked out in red on the first Friday of February. Go Red Day, which is part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign, brings attention to women’s heart health, a topic that doesn’t always get the space it deserves despite the number of women affected by heart disease. At the end of the day, Go Red Day is about awareness, connection, and reminding ourselves to take our health seriously.

For a long time, heart disease was viewed as a man’s issue, leaving women overlooked and underdiagnosed. Go Red Day exists because heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women, and many don’t know their symptoms might present differently than they do in men.

Understanding heart health in women

Heart attack symptoms don’t always show up the way we expect, especially for women. Knowing the less common signs can make all the difference when every minute counts. The Go Red for Women website describes chest pain or discomfort as the most common symptom of a heart attack. Other common symptoms include:

• Uncomfortable squeezing, pressure, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and returns
• Pain or discomfort in the back, neck, jaw, stomach, or one or both arms
• Shortness of breath that comes with or without chest pain
• Nausea, lightheadedness, cold sweats
• Extreme fatigue

Unfortunately, women face some built-in risk for heart disease. Certain factors are out of our control—like age, gender, family history, race, or a previous heart attack or stroke. However, there’s good news too. Plenty of risk factors can be eliminated through lifestyle changes, including:

• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• Inactivity
• Obesity
• Diabetes

As we recognize Go Red Day, it’s a good moment to take a look at our own heart health and get familiar with the symptoms, understand our risk factors, and pay attention to what our bodies try to tell us. Today is about more than just wearing red; it’s about keeping the conversation going, so women’s heart health gets the attention it deserves. Every year, Go Red Day helps push awareness forward and brings us one step closer to true health equity, where women are heard and believed.