Rowan County, N.C., Paramedics Wear Red Dress
Paramedics to wear red dress pins to promote cardiovascular health for women
Salisbury, NC – February 3, 2012 – Paramedics in the EMS Division of Rowan County Emergency Services are supporting “Go Red for Women.” The paramedics will wear a Red Dress pin on their left lapel to promote awareness that cardiovascular disease claims the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and the American Heart Association created Go Red For Women, a passionate, emotional, social initiative, to empower women to take charge of their heart health.
The goal is to challenge women to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk. In 2010, the American Heart Association set a strategic goal of reducing death and disability from cardiovascular disease and strokes by 20%, while improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% by the year 2020.
The red dress campaign targets women instead of men because in the past, heart disease and heart attack has predominantly been associated with men. Historically, men have been the subjects of the research done to understand heart disease and stroke, which has been the basis for treatment guidelines and programs. This distorted view of cardiovascular disease and risk worked to the detriment of women.
Currently, only about 55% of women realize heart disease is their No. 1 killer and less than half know what are considered healthy levels for cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol. Rowan County Emergency Services EMS Division is supporting Go Red For Women to make sure women know the risk, so they can take action to protect their health.
