According to American Heart Association statistics released on this week 483,800 American women died from heart disease and stroke in 2003, the latest year for which detailed information is available. Another 6 million women had coronary heart disease and 3.1 million had strokes, the association said in a special issue of its journal Circulation.

Despite this, studies indicate that only slightly more than half of women (55%) are aware that their greatest health risk is cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD affects more women's lives than the next five leading causes of death combined, including cancer, chronic lung disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and accidents.

Today is "Go Red for Women" day, an event started to raise women's awareness that their greatest health risk is heart disease. Tell your friends, your mother, your sister, and your lover. Today, tell every woman you know to love their hearts by exercising, eating well, losing weight, and getting to the doctor for an annual check-up. Offer to help them by walking with them, encouraging them, driving them, whatever it takes. Just don't let your loved one become a statistic this year.

Laurie

Related Topics: Five Steps to a Healthier Heart, Simple Changes to Lower Your Heart Risks

Technorati Tags: reddress, goredforwomen