February is American Heart Month and February 1 is National Wear Red Day. Go Big Red! The emphasis this year is to erase popular opinion that heart disease is prevalent among men but not women.

Even many women believe this opinion. A survey reveals that only 21 percent of women view heart disease as a health threat , even though it’s women’s No. 1 killer. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills about 460,000 women a year, about one per minute. It’s a fact that one in three adult females and males in the United States suffers from a form of CVD.

Although heart disease rates in post-menopausal women are two to three times higher than in pre-menopausal women, coronary heart disease is the No. 1 single killer of women over age 25. The incidents of heart disease among younger women are rising. One in 2.6 female deaths is from CVD, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer.

Among differences in males and females, the heart is a common denominator in mankind. Ancient literature referred to male man and female man as one species and so this year may be an educational calendar mark. The symptoms of a “heart attack” do differ by gender so this February will be an educational bonus.

In 2007 South Baldwin responded energetically to the drive to raise funds to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AED) for first-response professionals including fire and rescue, police, public school systems and other facilities where crowds gather. In 2007 while the drive for AEDs was in progress, Electric Membership Cooperative (EMC) technicians were working near the Gulf Shores beach and were first responders for a tourist experiencing an attack and the tourist now lives.

Even in our civilized nation popular misconceptions may lead to delays in fixing problems. Engagement in war is a learning process and dealing with heart disease is war. Detection and treatment of heart disease among women has ranked a poor second to the same attention for men.

The American Heart Association strongly supports the Heart Disease Education Analysis Research and Treatment (HEART) for Women Act, a bipartisan federal legislation to be re-introduced in Congress in mid-February. The act would improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke in women. Visit www.heartforwomen.org for more information so that you can follow bipartisan activity. Encourage your congresswomen and also your congressmen.