The American Heart Association is calling on the public to participate in National Wear Red Day by donning red Friday in support of the Go Red for Women movement that focuses women’s heart health and awareness.

The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign highlights some of the risks and challenges women face when it comes to cardiovascular health, such as —

— Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women;

— Nearly 45% of women older than age 20 are living with some form of cardiovascular disease;

— Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of maternal death in the U.S.;

— Women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR and less likely to survive an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest; and

— Only 38% of cardiovascular clinical research trial participants were women as of 2020.

One AHA recommendation is “Know Your Numbers” – key personal health numbers that help determine risk for heart disease, including total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index.

The AHA also suggests women get involved in research. Go Red for Women’s Research Goes Red platform at https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/get-involved/research-goes-red “is allowing more women to be seen, counted and represented in cardiovascular research.”

For more on National Wear Red Day, the Go Red for Women movement and cardiovascular health, go online to https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/.

In addition, during American Heart Month the AHA is promoting the theme of “You Are the First Responder Until Help Arrives” by encouraging the public to learn Hands-Only CPR.

“In every cardiac emergency, the real first responder is not always a uniformed professional but often an everyday bystander,” the AHA states in a news release. “Cardiac arrest can strike anywhere — at the gym, in the grocery store or during a child’s soccer game. However, bystanders only intervene about 40 percent of the time, often due to uncertainty or lack of training.”

The AHA points out —

— Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital in the United States — and 90% of these are fatal;

— About 70% of cardiac arrests that happen outside of a hospital happen at home;

— CPR, especially if performed immediately, could double or triple a person’s chance of survival;

— For adults and teens, Hands-Only CPR can double or even triple chance of survival;

— Infants and children need CPR, including breaths;

— Less than 12% of individuals who experienced a cardiac arrest in public had a bystander-applied AED;

— More than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year, with 40% related to sports and nearly 20% being infants;

— Cardiac arrest accounts for 10 to 15% of sudden unexpected infant deaths; and

— Women are less likely to receive CPR from a bystander. Barriers include fear of legal ramifications and accusations of inappropriate touching. A 2017 study found only 39% of women in cardiac arrest received CPR from strangers in public, compared with 45% of men, and men’s odds of surviving were 23% higher than women.

The American Heart Association has set a goal of doubling the survival of cardiac arrest outside of a hospital by 2030. Its Nation of Lifesavers initiative “aims to turn bystanders into lifesavers, so that in the time of cardiac emergency anyone, anywhere is prepared and empowered to become a vital link in the chain of survival and provide CPR.”

The news release adds, “The campaign’s central message is clear: you do not need medical credentials to save a life. What’s required is knowledge, courage and the readiness to act … ordinary people with the extraordinary power to make every future moment possible for someone in crisis.”

To learn CPR or find a CPR class, the AHA advises going online to heart.org/nation.