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February is labeled as the American Hearth Month and February 5th is the National Wear Red Day when people are encouraged to wear something red to show support and promote greater awareness of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in women of all ages.

The National Wear Red Day was launched by the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2004 in order to prevent cardiac arrests and stroke in women through mass information-led campaign

According to a Fox News report, 1 in every 3 US women and an estimated 44 million Americans are known to be suffering from various cases of CVD. While high incidence of heart-related diseases affects women, only 1 in 5 are apparently aware of their life threatening condition.

"The symptoms of heart attack can be vaguer than it is in men. With women it can be crushing chest pains that radiate completely to the back. It can also be jaw pain. They should get to an emergency room as soon as possible. Always remember with heart disease and heart attack time is muscle," warned Merit Health emergency medical services director Dixie Norris as quoted by WMCActionNews5.

Since symptoms can be deceptively undetectable, AHA advises women to consult with a doctor regularly to check on their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and maintain a vigilant lookout for any silent but impending signs of cardio-related illnesses as mentioned in a report by WoodTV8.

For more than a decade since the launching of the campaign, educating women on the nature of CVD still remains a big challenge.

"Heart disease and stroke claim the life of nearly one woman in the United States every minute. But many women continue to believe the disease is one that just targets men or the elderly, so they're not taking action to reduce their risk. Together, with our longstanding partner the [AHA], we know that this new campaign will have a life-saving impact," said Ad Council CEO Lisa Sherman as stated in Medical Daily report.