Collins, colleagues wear red for heart disease awareness

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Along with colleagues, staff and visitors to the Capitol, Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago 16^th), co-chairwoman of the Illinois Conference of Women Legislators, wore red to promote awareness of the number one cause of death in women: heart disease.

“As women, we should be aware that heart disease claims more of our sisters’ lives than all forms of cancer combined, and a woman is even more likely to die of heart disease than a man,” Collins said. “COWL is proud to partner with the American Heart Association again this year to encourage women to know their risk factors, talk to their doctors and adopt healthy lifestyles.”

An estimated 43 million women in the United States suffer from heart disease each year, and cardiovascular disease kills one American woman every minute. While 90 percent of women have at least one risk factor for developing heart disease, only 20 percent identify it as their greatest health threat. Women are still underrepresented in clinical trials pertaining to heart disease and are less likely to call 911 when they themselves are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack than when another person reports symptoms. The gap between the survival rates of men and women with heart disease continues to widen each year.

Both male and female legislators wearing red suits, dresses, ties and lapel pins gathered in the rotunda before the governor’s State of the State address to show their support for the Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, which is sponsoring its tenth annual National Wear Red Day on February 7.