Dear editor:

On Friday, Feb. 5, people from all walks of life will wear red to focus attention on the leading cause of death for women: cardiovascular disease. A woman is 10 times as likely to die from heart disease as from breast cancer. Cardiovascular diseases claim more women’s lives annually than the next five causes of death combined.

Lakeland HealthCare would like to encourage everyone to wear something red and show your commitment to raising awareness, improving health, and saving women’s lives. By participating in National Wear Red Day for Women, you are joining the movement to provide women the chance to live longer, stronger lives.

To honor American Heart Month, Lakeland’s HeartSafe team is offering free heart health events this February throughout southwest Michigan. To learn more about these programs, as well as other preventive health and wellness screenings, call (269) 556-2808 or (866) 260-7544. You can also discover your risk for heart disease at www.lakelandhealth.org through the HeartSafe risk assessment confidential questionnaire.

Remember, any action you take today to modify your risk of heart disease just may save your life.

Sincerely,

Tami Goslee, RN
Health Educator, Center for Health Enhancement
Lakeland HealthCare