In support of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women’’ effort, UTMB employees across all areas, from Galveston to Alvin to Clear Lake to Dickinson and beyond, wore red on Feb. 1 to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, particularly in women. 

UTMB encourages everyone to learn more about how to stay healthy by living heart healthy. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), as defined by the American Heart Association, include coronary heart disease (coronary artery disease, ischemic heart disease); stroke (brain attack); high blood pressure (hypertension); and rheumatic heart disease.

About 80 million US adults have one or more forms of CVD. Each year in the US, cardiovascular diseases top the list of most serious health problems. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death and stroke is the third leading cause of death. Stroke is also the number one cause of serious, long-term disability. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women: currently some 8 million women in the U.S. are living with heart disease, yet only one in five American women believes that heart disease is her greatest health threat. For more on heart health, visit utmbhealth.com.