This Valentine's Day, Go Red for Women's Hearts

Nobody wants heartbreak on Valentine's Day -- but a heart attack would really kill the mood. Unfortunately, most women are unaware of two important facts about their heart health: 1. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women, and 2. That sudden chest pain you've probably heard is the warning sign? Yeah, you're more likely to get that from heartbreak.

One awesome side-effect of sexist society is that studies on disease and medications tend to center around men. Unless it has to do with specific lady bits, researchers just figure, eh, what's true for men will be true for women, too. Wrong! Symptoms of heart disease are much more diverse for women than just the massive pain to the chest, Laura Dean points out on the Global Health blog, with clues ranging from abdominal discomfort to sweating to pain in the jaw or neck.

Though men are still more likely to suffer from heart disease, women are more likely to be misdiagnosed, leading to a lot of unnecessary. That's why the Go Red for Women campaign wants to raise awareness about this risk to women's health. After all, heart disease kills more women than all the cancers combined, yet I bet far more women know about the dangers of breast cancer (and have sported a little pink ribbon at some time or another) than the looming threat of heart attack.

Go Red for Women suggests that every day be Wear Red Day. And what better day to get started than the big V-Day itself? Their website provides a lot of shopping, but, more importantly, it also allows you to sign up for a Wear Red Day kit that gives you the information you need to spread the word about women's health.

So, be the lady in red. And when people comment on how stunning you look, tell them -- Oh this? I'm just raising awareness about women's heart disease. Smart dresser.

Photo credit: The Heart Truth