The color red – the color of roses and heart-shaped candy boxes – has long been associated with the month of February and the celebration of Valentine’s Day.

Red is also a symbol of the heart, and Friday Feb 1 is National Go Red for Women Day, a day to raise awareness about the number one health problem that affects American women – heart disease.

For more than 10 years, Go Red For Women has been dedicated to women’s heart health because heart disease is the number one killer of women, claiming more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. Prior to Go Red for Women, only 30 percent of women knew that heart disease was their greatest health threat. A decade after Go Red for Women launched, close to 56 percent of women recognized this fact, nearly a 90 percent increase in awareness.

Go Red For Women encourages women to be aware of their number one killer and know their numbers like total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index. Talk to your doctor to lower your heart health risk, especially if you have a family history of heart disease or stroke.

The American Heart Association invites the community to move more by making physical activity a priority, and join the #GoRedGetFit team on Facebook. The AHA recommends 30 minutes daily of walking or aerobic exercise to help prevent heart disease and stroke.

On Friday, don’t just wear something red. Make a contribution to the fight against heart disease and a promise to fight heart disease in the best way possible: by eating and living healthy.

Learn more about preventing women’s number one killer at GoRedForWomen.org or by contacting the local chapters of the AHA at 845-867-5370 (Poughkeepsie) or (845) 342-1115 (Middletown).