Why are people wearing red today? Advocates raise awareness for women's heart health
If you've left home today, you may have noticed an unusually high number of people wearing red. But Valentine's Day is next Friday, so what's with the color coordination?
February is American Heart Month, and this first Friday is National Wear Red Day — a day dedicated to raising awareness about women's heart health.
Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S., according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, but it is largely preventable.
According to the American Heart Association's newly released 2025 Heart Disease & Stroke Statistical Update, among women 20 years of age and older, 45% had some form of cardiovascular disease.
"Wear red to be seen, to be counted, to be heard, to make an impact," the American Heart Association's "Go Red" page reads. "Together, we are stronger than heart disease and stroke."
The work goes beyond simply wearing a color today. The association encourages the public to follow three easy steps to make an impact:
Wear red for the women you love.
Get social and spread the word, using hashtags on social media like #WearRedDay, #WearRedandGive and #HeartMonth.
Wear red and give by creating a personalized fundraiser at wearredday.org.
"When we come together and Go Red, the more powerful we are against our greatest health threat," a National Wear Red Day pamphlet by the American Heart Association says. "Because when women connect with each other, we can create a healthier, happier future for everyone."
The association also encourages women to follow eight key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health, like embracing healthy eating, moving your body, quitting tobacco, and more.
Click here to learn more.
Others can celebrate survivors and communities championing women's health.
Over 70% of cardiac arrests outside of hospitals occur within homes, so the association urges all to learn hands-only CPR at Heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.
— El Paso Times reporter Natassia Paloma contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Why wear red today? What to know about National Wear Red Day 2025
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