Go Red For Women is a movement that starts with you. Lead by example and make the time to “Know Your Numbers.” It’s knowledge that could save your life.

Five numbers, that all women should know to take control of their heart health are:

1. Total Cholesterol
2. HDL (good) Cholesterol
3. Blood Pressure
4. Blood Sugar
5. Body Mass Index (BMI)

Knowing these numbers can help women and their healthcare provider determine their risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. It’s time for all women to learn the most critical numbers in their life — their hearts depend on it.

Here’s how:

1. Understand Risk Factors
   1. There are some you can control like blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol, lack of regular physical activity, and some you can’t control like age, gender, and family history.
   2. That’s why it is important to Know Your Numbers, learn your Family History and discuss all risk factors with your healthcare provider.

2. “Know Your Numbers”
   1. Five numbers can change your life – Total Cholesterol, HDL (good) Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Body Mass Index (BMI).

3. Take Action and Manage Your Numbers
   1. Schedule a separate visit with your healthcare provider to learn these numbers and commit them to memory.
   2. Work to improve your numbers, if necessary.

FACTS ABOUT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

• Cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 1 in 3 women each year.
• Cardiovascular diseases kill about one woman every 80 seconds and about 80% of cardiovascular diseases may be preventable.
• Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women, taking more lives than all forms of cancer combined.
• More than one in three women is living with some form of cardiovascular disease.
  • Among women age 20 and older:
    • About one third of non-Hispanic whites have CVD;
    • Nearly half of non-Hispanic blacks have CVD; and,
    • About one third of Hispanics have CVD.
• Almost half of cardiovascular related deaths are in females.
• About 3.6 million stroke survivors alive today are women.
• Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 people a year. That’s roughly 1 in every 20 deaths.
• Less than 20% of women meet the Federal Physical Activity Guidelines.
• Nearly 65% of women age 20 and older are overweight or obese.
  • About 60% are non-Hispanic whites;
  • About 80% are non-Hispanic blacks; and,
  • About 75% are Hispanics.
• About 45% of women in America age 20 or older have total cholesterol of 200 mg/dl or higher.
• About 30% of women in American have high blood pressure.
• Only 17% of women consider heart disease or stroke to be the greatest health problem facing Americans today.
  • African-American women are the least likely of women to consider heart disease or stroke to be the greatest health problem facing Americans today at13%.
  • 15% of Hispanic women and 15% of Asian women consider heart disease or stroke to be the greatest health problem facing Americans today.
  • 18% of Caucasian women consider heart disease or stroke to be the greatest health problem facing Americans today.
• Through the outreach and efforts of Go Red For Women, today about 293 fewer women in the U.S. die from heart disease and stroke each day.

ABOUT GO RED FOR WOMEN

Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. Cardiovascular diseases in the U.S. kill approximately one woman every 80 seconds. The good news is that 80 percent of cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. Go Red For Women advocates for more research and swifter action for women’s heart health. The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement is nationally sponsored by Macy’s, with additional support from our cause supporters. For more information, please visit GoRedForWomen.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278).

Thank you to our Jefferson City sponsor, JCMG Laser & Vein.