National Wear Red Day with a red heart and female symbol

WEAR RED DAY

History of Wear Red Day
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute established this campaign to help bring awareness to the fact that 610,000 people die every year from heart disease, making it the most lethal disease in the United States, and around the world.

The sources of heart disease are many and affect many different cultures and civilizations. Heart disease isn't one condition, but many. It can be caused by diabetes, a lack of exercise, high cholesterol, blood pressure, and alcohol consumption. Even more concerning is that nearly all of these causes are preventable, and yet people continue to die by the thousands each year.

Age is a heavy factor in vulnerability to heart disease. Our susceptibility triples with every new decade, with fatty streaks forming in the heart even in our adolescence. So it's never too early to start being aware of this life disease.

How to celebrate Wear Red Day
You can start by scheduling an appointment with your doctor or calling Sabetha Family Practice at (785) 284-2141 to have a heart check-up. Every day you ignore is one more opportunity for heart disease to get a stronger hold on your heart and increases your risk of a heart attack.

While you're making that appointment, take a good look at your diet and see if there are some places there for improvement. Most of us have things we can do to improve the way we eat to make better and healthier choices.

Wear Red Day is a great opportunity to re-evaluate all of it. You can also use it to start getting ready to get out and exercise, another great way to reduce your susceptibility to heart disease. So get on your favorite red tracksuit and spread awareness of Heart Disease on Wear Red Day, Friday, February 7, 2020.