Hearts pump for a little red dress

Oakland Tribune, Feb 18, 2005

I'VE never been too crazy about wearing the color red. In all its bold brilliance, it just washes out my pale complexion, blue eyes and blond hair.

Regardless, I threw caution to the wind a few weeks ago and added a little red dress to my wardrobe. It's cuter than cute, a flirty little frock sparkling with red and white crystals, and I've been wearing it all this month for the half million women who die each year from a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease.

The whole truth? My little red dress is actually a red lapel pin in the shape of a dress. I first saw it Jan. 27 at the Clive Christian home furnishings showroom in the San Francisco Design Center, where the American Heart Association kicked off its "Go Red for Women" campaign to raise awareness of heart disease in women. Similar to how pink is linked with breast cancer awareness, the American Heart Association hopes to entwine the color red and its little red dress pin with women's heart issues.

These hopes evidently turned into reality that night since I was seeing red everywhere when I walked into the affair with Dominique Yancey, auction chair for the association's upcoming Heart of Gold Ball, and her daughter, Danielle.

Yancey's father-in-law and my father are suffering from congestive heart disease, and, as a result, we fully understand the concerns of heart disease as it relates to the male population. Yet until recently, you could have asked either of us what the No. 1 health threat is for women and we would have answered breast cancer - - and we would have been wrong.

Dead wrong.

"Heart disease is not only the No. 1 killer of women, but one in 29 deaths are from breast cancer while one in 2.4 deaths are from cardiovascular disease," says Sharon Topping, executive director of the Western States Affiliate in San Mateo.

In 63 percent of the women who die suddenly from a heart attack, there are no other symptoms. That's why it's so important to be proactive -- to find out how healthy our hearts are and take steps to improve the condition of our bodies.

Getting plenty of nutrients and exercise daily is a good place to begin, said campaign kick-off guest speaker, Bronwyn Schweigerdt, author of "The UnDiet: Painless Baby Steps to Permanent WeightLoss."

In providing tips for heart-healthy eating, she pointed out that good nutrition doesn't have to mean a menu of cardboard and rice cakes.

"Instead, focus on fiber and don't skip meals. Eating fewer meals slows your metabolism. Then when you do eat, those calories get stored as fat because of the slowdown," she said. "That's how sumo wrestlers put on all their weight. They only eat one meal a day."

Other tips for positive lifestyle changes are available by visiting www.americanheart.org and ordering a Heart Health Tool Kit, including:

-A comprehensive brochure with information on heart disease and stroke risk factors and signs

-A bookmark with information on how women can reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke

-A wallet card with questions to ask your doctor and a chart to track blood pressure, cholesterol and weight

-A red dress pin to show support for women and the heart disease cause

-Information about two of the association's free lifestyle programs, one on adding more physical activity into existing routines and the other on incorporating simple healthy changes

When I get back online to their Web site, I might just live on the edge and also order one of those cute "Go Red for Women" T- shirts. In this case, it'll be a whole lot of red next to my pale skin, not just a little lapel pin.