Often, the varied demands of a career and family life are so time consuming that it’s easy to place personal concerns like heart health on the back burner. To get the community thinking more proactively about women’s cardiovascular wellness and how to support it, the American Heart Association (AHA) presents the Go Red for Women initiative each year. It started out as a way of encouraging people to show their support for women’s heart health by wearing red but has since evolved into a multifaceted mission, says Jennifer Jaeger, AHA executive director for metro St. Louis.
“Go Red was created because women needed to know that cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 threat to their health,” Jaeger says. “It kills more women each year than all cancers combined, so we needed a concerted effort to raise research funding and boost awareness. We also work to encourage women of all ages and backgrounds to support each other in healthy habits and be represented in research and medical studies. Go Red is really an entire women’s health movement, not just an initiative.”
AHA is committed to cardiovascular health for all women, but there is also a special focus on heart health for women of color. “We bear a particular burden of cardiovascular disease, and my own family is no exception; both of my grandmothers had heart disease,” says St. Louis Go Red co-chair Adrian Bracy, noting that 50,000 Black women in the U.S. die of cardiovascular conditions each year. “I said yes to chairing the campaign because it’s important to give back to my community by spreading awareness and education about heart disease, stroke and health equity for women. I wanted to help raise critical funds for the lifesaving work of the AHA.”
February is Black History Month and American Heart Month, an ideal backdrop for the AHA’s new Reclaim Your Rhythm initiative that encourages women of all ages to return to healthy heart habits after the challenges of the past two years. “Reclaim Your Rhythm is our way of saying, ‘Let’s get back to focusing on our health,’” Jaeger says. “Life has looked very different recently, with so many worries about illness and safety. Although things aren’t entirely back to normal, we want women to take care of themselves first, maintain healthy habits and remember how important they are. We’re asking, ‘When did you last see your doctor and have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked? Are you practicing self care? Are you taking some time each day to focus on exercise, stress relief and mental health?’”
AHA’s efforts and mission have drawn support from influential leaders and residents throughout the region, not least because heart disease reaches into most families in some way. “It’s my goal to build on the strong foundation that already exists for the Go Red for Women movement,” said campaign co-chair Merry Mosbacher. “I want to help expand our messaging to a broader audience of women all across the St. Louis area.”
The American Heart Association’s St. Louis chapter is committed to improving heart health for all people in the region. Pictured on the cover: Adrian Bracy, Merry Mosbacher, Chonda Nwamu. For information about upcoming fundraising events including the St. Louis Heart Ball, Go Red for Women Luncheon and St. Louis Heart Walk, visit heart.org/stlouis.
Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover photo By Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography
Pictured at top: Survivors toast at the 2020 Go Red for Women luncheon.
photo: BTP by Alison
