SAN ANGELO, Texas — One-in-three women will die from heart disease every year, according to "Go Red for Women," a smaller branch of the American Heart Association.
With that in mind, Feb. 3 is honored as "National Wear Red Day," an annual holiday meant to remind people on the importance of women's heart health.
"We really do need to bring more awareness to women's health, mental and physical," San Angelo's "Go Red 2023 Luncheon" chairperson Holly Rose said.
Rose decided to join Go Red in 2022 to help with marketing and she soon fell in love with the organization and its cause.
On Feb. 3, she and many others wear red to raise awareness for this underrepresented concern.
Women often deal with increased pressures of everyday life by attempting to manage work, family and personal relationships. This can increase stress and thus, lead to heart disease.
"A lot of things do typically fall on women to do everything and have the standard to be perfect," Rose said. "You're balancing all of these things and we tend to -and I'm guilty about it- forget about who we are."
Genetics and diet can play a part in heart disease as well, but there are ways to lessen the risk.
According to Rose, choosing "heart-healthy" food options and meal prepping at the start of the week are small but impactful ways to make conscious decisions for overall health. Finding time to exercise might also help in creating a balanced lifestyle.
At 11:15 a.m. Feb. 15, the annual "Go Red for Women" luncheon will be held at the McNease Convention Center to help raise additional awareness for women's heart issues. The event will include a "heart-healthy" lunch, silent auction and a fashion show with multiple heart disease survivors.
Attendees can also learn CPR at the event and all funds will go towards local organizations. CPR and AED kits, as well as CPR training classes, will be available thanks to donations.
For Rose, it's important to serve her community and also provide a better life experience for her two younger children. One way she can do that is by protecting her heart health.
"Being part of this organization opened my eyes to living a better life for my family, for my friends, for my community 'cuz I care so much about this community," she said.
Go to 2023SanAngeloGoRedLuncheon to learn more about the upcoming event.
