The American Heart Association, a nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, together with its signature movement, Go Red for Women, encourages community members to wear red and donate on National Wear Red Day, Friday, Feb. 5, and throughout February. National Wear Red Day seeks to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in women. The American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement is nationally sponsored by CVS Health and is supported locally by companies throughout central Pennsylvania.

Those who plan to participate in National Wear Red Day may consider purchasing the Red Dress Pin and other apparel at http://www.ShopHeart.org.

Community members may make a donation to support the work of the American Heart Association at http://www.WearRedDay.org. They may join the conversation by sharing Wear Red Day selfies, personal stories about heart disease and tips using #WearRedAndGive and tagging @AHAPennsylvania on social media.

Community members may also consider signing up to participate in clinical trial research through the Go Red for Women movement and Verily's Project Baseline. More information is available by visiting http://www.GoRedForWomen.org, clicking on "Research" under "Get Involved" and clicking "Join thousands of women in the fight against heart disease."

To treat, beat and prevent heart disease and stroke, women should understand their family health history and know their five key personal health numbers, which help determine risk for heart disease and stroke. These numbers are total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index.

Additionally, women should make healthy behavior changes like moving more, eating smart and managing their blood pressure.

Women should know the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes. Heart disease and stroke symptoms can present differently in women than in men.

For more information, visit http://www.goredforwomen.org.