Macy's, CVS partner with the American Heart Association, goes red for women

Since 2004, the American Heart Association (AHA) has been working to educate women around the world about heart disease, prevent heart-related events and promote healthy lifestyle changes with the Go Red for Women initiative. As part of this campaign, the AHA is encouraging people to wear red for women's health on February 1st, during the American Heart Month.¹

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States,² but they are also one of the most preventable – nearly 80% of cardiac events can be prevented by a lifestyle change.¹ AHA leaders encourage women to wear red, share information about heart health, and support themselves by taking healthier habits, knowing the risks of cardiovascular disease, and recognizing the symptoms of heart disease. Cardiac events, according to the campaign website. .¹

Macy's is partnering with the AHA to sponsor Go Red for Women this year. The chain of department stores has supported the initiative since its inception and has raised more than $ 69 million to fund research and promote awareness.³

"As the leading cause of death for women, this cause is important to us and affects our clients and our colleagues in our local communities," said Sam Harrison, vice president of Giving and Volunteerism at Macy's.³ "By offering different ways for our clients to give back together, we help women of all ages and all walks of life to live longer and healthier lives."

Throughout the month of February, customers will be asked to round off their purchases to the nearest dollar. The additional amendments will be used to fund education, resources and tools for women to improve their cardiovascular health through the Choosing the Right Heart for Red option for women. Fundraising. Macy's will also sell a limited edition Calvin Klein red dress, of which 10% of the purchase price will go directly to the AHA.³

CVS will also work with the AHA to promote heart health in February. The pharmacy will encourage patients and clients to donate to support cardiovascular health research throughout the month.²

In addition, CVS encourages women to know their risks by staying informed about their personal health numbers. The 5 personal health numbers that can help patients determine their cardiovascular risk are total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mbad index. To help patients easily access these numbers, and at an affordable price, CVS will offer free heart health screenings every Thursday in February, including Valentine's Day, at more than 1,100 of their MinuteClinic sites. .²

Knowing the symptoms of heart events in women is crucial because they can be different from the symptoms seen in men, according to the AHA. The most common symptom in men and women is pain and discomfort in the bad, but women are more likely to suffer from shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, back pain, jaw pain and dizziness. The most common sign of a stroke is sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, but only on one side of the body. Symptoms of the stroke also include sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding, difficulty seeing or blurred vision, dizziness or difficulty walking, or severe headache.¹

The Go Red For Women campaign website provides resources for creating an exercise routine, eating healthier, and managing blood pressure. According to the AHA, these are the best ways to protect the health of your heart.¹

To join CVS, Macy's and the AHA in raising awareness of heart health this month, be sure to wear red this Friday, Feb. 1 to support the Go Red for Women program.

References

1. Go Red For women. The American Heart Association. 2019. https://www.goredforwomen.org/en. Accessed January 30, 2019.
2. Go Red for women. CVS Health. https://cvshealth.com/social-responsibility/our-giving/go-red-for-women. Accessed January 30, 2019.
3. In February, Macy pays tribute to women entering the American Heart Association by encouraging women to become active and take action against heart disease. Associated Press. January 28, 2019. https://www.apnews.com/0ca437f624ff4096a4ba9e9989e3c886. Accessed January 30, 2019.