Heart Month WomenHeart Empowers Women to Learn About Their 1 Killer

Heart Month: WomenHeart Empowers Women to Learn About Their #1 Killer

Celebrating 20 years of supporting, educating, and advocating for women with and at risk for heart disease

February marks the start of American Heart Month, a powerful reminder that heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women and an opportunity to increase awareness about risk factors, prevalence, and prevention.

“We’re on a mission to save lives this month,” says WomenHeart Board Chair Barbara Tombros. “There are nearly 48 million women living with or at risk of heart disease, so it’s crucial that we empower women to take charge of their heart health. Every woman should know the signs and symptoms of heart disease.”

This Feb., WomenHeart is celebrating its 20^th anniversary and unveiling a new look with an updated website and logo. Here are a few ways the organization is recognizing heart month:

• The #HappyHeart campaign is a fun way to educate people about heart disease risk factors, while inspiring women to become physically active. Throughout the month, participants are encouraged to share on social media a short video clip of them doing their favorite activity (sports, yoga, gardening, playing with grandchildren, meditating, etc.) with a caption of why it can lead to a #happyheart.
• Heart Valve Awareness Day: WomenHeart has teamed up with hospitals across the country to share information about heart valve disease. Heart Valve Awareness Day is Feb. 22.
• #29DaysofHeart: Fifth annual social media campaign focusing on raising awareness about heart disease and African-American women as part of both Black History Month and Heart Month. It kicks off Jan. 31.

“As a woman of color, I’m very excited about what WomenHeart is doing to educate black women,” says WomenHeart Champion Jacqueline Alikhaani. “Heart disease is an epidemic that kills nearly 50,000 African-American women each year and I want to help reduce that number.”

WomenHeart is uniquely positioned to speak up on behalf of women—of all backgrounds—with heart disease and encourage them to tell their stories, advocate for public policies that advance women’s heart health, and come together to support one another as they thrive with heart disease. This month is especially significant as WomenHeart will celebrate its 20^th anniversary and looks to build upon what it started back in 1999.

“The campaigns we’re rolling out for Heart Month are incredibly important,” added Tombros. “They come at the perfect time—coinciding with the unveiling of our new logo and a refreshed website that will not only allow visitors to easily locate heart health materials, but also provide better support to our WomenHeart Champions.”

About WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the nation's only patient centered organization serving the nearly 48 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease—the leading cause of death in women. Visit us online at womenheart.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190201005051/en/

Anthony Vieira, Jr., 202.464.8775; avieira@womenheart.org

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