American Heart Association's Go Red For Women® Asks Women to Make a Change on the 12th National Wear Red Day®

(DALLAS, February 6, 2015) — The American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) Go Red For Women

®

is asking all Americans to Go Red to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women during the12th annual National Wear Red Day

®

on Friday, February 6, 2015. The face of heart disease and stroke has changed, and 1 in 3 women will die.

“Heart disease is not just a man’s disease, but only one in five women is aware it’s their greatest health threat,” Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, Director of Women's Heart Health, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City. “Fortunately, when it comes to beating heart disease and stroke, simple lifestyle changes such as following a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly can be the cure. In fact, 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented.”

Go Red For Women has been fighting heart disease and stroke in women and has saved more than 275 women’s lives every day since it was founded in 2004. Despite this tremendous progress, there’s still work to be done. That’s why Go Red For Women is asking all Americans to make a change at GoRedForWomen.org and help raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women in the following ways:

Go Red with Macy’s

In honor of National Wear Red Day, Macy’s customers who wear red or purchase a Red Dress pin for $2 at Macy’s during its Wear Red Sale (Feb. 4 — Feb. 9) and Extended Pin Sale (Feb. 10 – Feb. 16), will receive a 20 percent discount on most regular, sale and clearance merchandise or 15 percent off fine and fashion jewelry, sale and clearance watches and select home items. Macy’s will donate 100% of pin sale proceeds to Go Red For Women.

As part of its fundraising efforts, Macy’s is also offering three exclusive red dresses designed by Kensie, Calvin Klein and the new Macy’s brand, Thalia Sodi, as well as a capsule collection of active wear from Ideology, with 10% of the purchase price benefitting Go Red For Women. Since 2004, Macy’s has raised more than $50 million as the founding national sponsor of Go Red For Women.

Watch & Share Go Red For Women’s ‘Ceiling Crasher’ PSA

Go Red For Women teamed up with the Ad Council to launch a PSA campaign, which includes TV, radio, and print PSAs that aim to dispel the myths that heart disease and stroke are an older man’s disease.

“In order to achieve AHA’s 2020 goal — to reduce heart disease and stroke by 20% – we must overcome heart disease gender disparities,” said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association. “The Ad Council PSA sheds light on the misperceptions of heart disease and stroke in women, and emphasizes the urgent need for change.”

TV & Radio PSA embed codes: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R_fphNZ4qSM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Real Women, Real Stories

The 2015 class of Real Women, heart disease and stroke survivors, are sharing their personal stories of survival to raise awareness about women’s’ greatest health threat. Laura Bell Bundy, singer, “Anger Management” actress and the original Elle Woods in Broadway’s “Legally Blonde,” joins this year’s class of Real Women and shares her story of surviving a congenital heart defect in the new Real Women mashup video.

“I was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when I was a child, and my doctors told me all the things I needed to do and the changes I needed to make in order to protect my heart,” said Laura Bell Bundy, actress, recording artist and Go Red For Women spokesperson. “I’m teaming up with Go Red For Women because ALL women should be aware of their heart health and know the steps they can take every day to improve their own heart health.”

Real Women Mashup Embed Code: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL8164YRXTgjOht2dNV_l9wX9gjCFVJ4RW" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Turn Your Selfie RED

To raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women, Americans can participate in Go Red For Women’s #GoRedSelfie contest by posting a photo of themselves on Twitter and Instagram wearing red and using #GoRedSelfie. The contest runs throughout the month of February and all submissions including the hashtag #GoRedSelfie will be entered to win daily prizes, with the grand prize being awarded at the end of the month.

Follow @GoRedForWomen and check out other ways you can #GoRed on National Wear Red Day by visiting GoRedForWomen.org/GoRedSelfie.

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