WHAT:

Kickoff for Capital City Goes Red, which is part of the month-long Go Red For Women campaign aimed at raising awareness about women and cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Everyone is encouraged to wear red for this event.

WHO:

Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Director Janet Olszewski will speak on the importance of Going Red For Women and give women tips on how to live longer and stronger with a healthy heart

WHEN:

Friday, February 4, 2005 at 12 p.m.

WHERE:

Kickoff will be held in the Capitol Rotunda (Lansing, MI). Directly following, all are encouraged to join in a healthy walk to the Lansing Center (Lansing, MI).

HIGHLIGHTS:

Due to Valentine’s Day, February is often known for the emotional matters of the heart. Director Olszewski will encourage women to think about the physical nature of their heart and what every individual can do to engage in healthy lifestyle choices aimed at keeping their hearts healthy and strong.

“Every minute in the United States, a woman dies from cardiovascular disease,” Olszewski said. “Fortunately, heart disease and stroke are largely preventable with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and positive lifestyle choices like quitting smoking.”

Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of women in the United States. Women are 15 percent more likely than men to die of a heart attack, twice as likely to have a second heart attack in the six years following the first, and women often have higher rates of risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

“Helping women to understand their hearts, and the lifestyle choices that can keep a heart healthy is one of the most pressing public health issues,” Olszewski said.