CLEVELAND — American Heart Month is officially underway.
On Friday, Feb. 3, the American Heart Association is asking you to rock your red and show support on National Wear Red Day.
Across the nation, individuals will wear red to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases and how lives can be saved.
Why Go Red?
The American Heart Association says, "Cardiovascular disease continues to be the #1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths yearly. Yet, awareness is slipping. Gen Z and Millennials are less likely to be aware of their risk, and many don’t know the warning signs of heart attacks or strokes. Further, in the event of cardiac arrest, women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR, partly because people fear accusations of inappropriate touching, sexual assault, or injuring the person."
How to show support for women's health on Friday?
- Wear red
- Post a photo on social media of you wearing red using the following hashtags: #WearRedDay and #ClevelandGoesRed, tagging @AmericanHeartOhio on Facebook & Instagram and @AmHeartOhio on Twitter
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video at the top of the story previously aired on 3News on Feb. 1, 2023.
This year, the organization's theme is Be the Beat, which encourages everyone to take on the CPR challenge of having one person in every household who knows how to perform CPR.
The reasoning behind the theme is for the community to be prepared in case of a sudden heart event such as cardiac arrest. The preventative measures of learning how to perform CPR could save someone's life.
More information on the campaign can be found on WearRedDay.org