Go for the Red: Heart Disease is the Leading Cause of Death for American Women

~ by Carol Vartuli

When the 2022 Winter Olympics begin this month, athletes will strive for gold, silver, or bronze.  But another Olympic-scale event that kicks off in February has a different mantra: "Go for the RED."

The GO Red for Women campaign was launched 18 years ago by the American Heart Association (AHA) to combat myths about cardiovascular disease in women. In 2004, some 500,000 American women were dying annually from these misunderstandings.

What Misunderstandings?

A 49-year-old nurse in the UK had pain in her collarbone and neck. She went to work as normal for a few days, until the pain traveled to her jaw and became unbearable. When paramedics arrived, they told her it was a panic attack. She was transported to the hospital with no urgency. Hours later, it was correctly diagnosed as a heart attack.

In 2018, a study of heart attacks across the United Kingdom revealed that women are 50 percent likelier than men to receive a wrong initial diagnosis. "Overall, almost one-third of female patients had an initial diagnosis which differed from their final diagnosis." 

This a worldwide issue.

Delay in treating a heart attack results in damage to the heart muscle, which puts women at higher risk than men of living with long-term heart failure.

The failure to diagnose heart attacks in women is one reason half of all American women still do not recognize cardiovascular disease as their number one killer.

To begin with, signs of heart attack/stroke in women can be strikingly different than what men experience. "Women can experience a heart attack without chest pressure,” says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director for Women's Health at NYU’s Langone Medical Center.  

“In men, the pain and tightness typically is located high in the chest. Women often experience pain and tightness lower in the abdomen, and as a result, mistake it for stomach pain or gas and might take an antacid."  Symptoms in women may also include upper-back pressure, shortness of breath, unexplained fatigue, nausea and dizziness, and palpitations.

 Raising Awareness with a Little Red Dress

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) introduced the red dress as a symbol of heart disease awareness in women, and the AHA adopted it to create synergy among organizations working on the cause.

Funds raised by GO Red for Women help educate women and healthcare providers. For example, more than 200,000 healthcare providers in the United States have received critical patient information on women and heart disease.

Funds are also dedicated to research, so the most up-to-date information about women and heart disease can be shared.

Any woman can join the GO Red movement online to learn about her risks for heart disease, and obtain the latest information.  A brief video by actress Elizabeth Banks illustrates how a "Just a Little Heart Attack" might be mistaken for stress.

About Women Who "GO Red"

• Women involved in GO Red eat a healthy diet.
• GO Red women are more likely to follow their doctors’ advice – from losing weight to taking medications.
• 91 percent of women involved in GO Red visited their doctor in the last 12 months (compared to 73 percent of all U.S. women).
• 64 percent follow a regular exercise routine.
• 84 percent have talked to friends about their heart health.
• 90 percent have had their blood pressure checked in the last year.
• 75 percent have had their cholesterol checked in the last year.

If you're a woman, or you care about the women in your life, going for Red might be more valuable than gold.

The information in the above article is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.