(Martin County, FL) The Florida Department of Health (FL-DOH) in Martin County is urging residents to wear red on Friday, February 6, to raise awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women.

The FL-DOH in Martin is partnering with Florida Community Health Center (FCHC) in Stuart in recognition of American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day.

Red Dress pins, blood pressure tracking cards and fact sheets will be available to FCHC and Health Department visitors to raise awareness about prevention measures to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

In addition, Health Department staff and volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps will provide information and free blood pressure checks on Friday, February 6 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am at the Elisabeth Lahti Library in Indiantown.

Having just one risk factor can double your risk for developing heart disease. Risk factors include:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Overweight/obesity
• Physical inactivity
• Family history of early coronary heart disease
• Age (for women, 55 and older)

What can you do to lower your risk? Talk to your doctor to find out if you are at risk. Take action. Don’t smoke. Eat a healthy diet. Get physically active. Maintain a healthy weight. Take medicine that is prescribed according to your doctor’s instructions.

To find out more about women and heart disease, visit the

Go Red for Women website http://www.goredforwomen.org/ for more information.