I received a text from a coworker at 6:10 a.m. last week. Thinking it must be important to text this early, I struggled to open my eyes and read it. “For anyone working 2/7, wear red,” it said. Do I think this message is important enough to text a whole group before the sun has risen, no. Do I think the message itself of wearing red on the first Friday of every February is vitally important, yes.
It’s not an early start on celebrating Valentine’s Day. Yesterday was National Wear Red Day to bring attention to heart disease and promote ways to protect your heart. February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, The Heart Truth, the American Heart Association (AHA) and other organizations encourage people to get involved and offer events, information and resources to teach how to keep hearts healthy.
The Heart Truth is a national education program that encourages people to live a hearthealthy lifestyle such as ways to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Risk factors for heart disease include genetics, lack of physical activity, poor diet, smoking, poor stress management and inadequate sleep management. The AHA also offers valuable resources.
