National Wear Red Day is Friday

For many years, Julia Lucid felt pains in her upper arms and chest. Her initial diagnosis was muscle strains and pains.

As it turned out, it was much more. Lucid had heart issues and had a stent placed.

So her quest to bring awareness to the No. 1 killer in women — heart disease — is personal.

“The more that people know about the warning signs and are educated, the better it is going to be,” said Lucid, a manager at Cardinal Health in Radcliff and board member for the American Heart Association in Louisville. “We’re really looking to educate women and men. The symptoms of a heart attack in a woman are not all the same as for a man. We’re trying to get the word out.”

As part of that mission, the start of February — National Heart Month — kicks off with the 10th annual National Wear Red Day Friday as a day to focus on supporting the effort by wearing anything red that day.

According to the American Heart Association, a heart attack strikes someone about every 34 seconds. Often, the symptoms between a heart attack for a man and a woman vary.

“We want to educate as many people as we can to know of ways to avoid heart disease,” Lucid said. She said she has talked to various groups, including a recent Hardin County Chamber of Commerce meeting, in getting the word out about ways to limit the chance of heart disease and how to recognize it.

She said a Go Red for Women fashion show also is planned for May featuring models who are heart disease survivors.

Since the first National Wear Red Day in 2004, according to the Go Red for Women website, strides have been made against heart disease in women, including:

n 21 percent fewer women dying from heart disease

n 23 percent more women aware that it’s their No. 1 health threat

n Publishing of gender-specific results, established differences in symptoms and responses to medications and women-specific guidelines for prevention and treatment

n Legislation to help end gender disparities

“Getting the word out is important,” Lucid said.

Businesses and individuals are encouraged to display their support Friday by wearing red clothing.

Jeff D’Alessio can be reached at (270) 505-1757 or jdalessio@thenewsenterprise.com.

Heart attack signs in women

• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
• As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

SOURCE: www.heart.org

For more information on Wear Red Day and heart disease in women, go to www.GoRedForWomen.org/WearRedDay or www.heart.org