February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, but it is preventable and controllable. Take steps this month to keep your heart healthy.

Ask any stylist, job coach or dating expert and they’ll tell you that red stands out. Eyes are immediately drawn to it. Some even say that the color red is a confidence booster and makes you feel powerful.

Maybe that’s why the American Heart Association chose the color red to signify our fight against the No. 1 killer in women. Maybe it’s just a coincidence that it’s also the color of our hearts.

In 2003, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute took action against a disease that was claiming the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year – a disease that women weren’t paying attention to. A disease they truly believed, and many still believe to this day, affects more men than women.

Stemming from that action, National Wear Red Day was born. It’s held on the first Friday in February every year to raise awareness about heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women.

This year’s National Wear Red Day is Feb. 5, 2016. Support the fight against heart disease and wear red this Friday. For more information on National Wear Red Day, visit www.goredforwomen.org.