The first Friday each February, American Heart Month, the nation comes together, igniting a wave of red from coast to coast.

From landmarks to news anchors, neighborhoods to online communities; this annual groundswell unites millions of people for a common goal: the eradication of heart disease and stroke.

Michiganders will come together next month in February to show their support for the fight against heart disease and stroke. American Heart Month, a yearly celebration in February that began in 1964, encourages Americans to join the battle against heart disease.

Across the state and the nation, millions of people will wear red attire on Friday, Feb. 5 – National Wear Red Day to raise awareness of heart disease in women. Part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, Wear Red Day focuses the nation’s attention on heart disease, the number one killer of women in America.  Women and men throughout the country will be wearing red sweaters, red dresses, red ties or red dress pins to show their support of this movement to save women’s lives.

Women and Heart Disease Key Stats:

• 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.