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Cardiovascular disease is a major risk for women – in many countries it is even the most common cause of death. And yet something deeply human happens in everyday life: we push the issue away. Because it is unpleasant, because we function. This is precisely why the international Go Red for Women initiative exists: every year in February, it sends out a visible signal for education, prevention and early detection.
This year, National Wear Red Day will take place on Friday, February 6, 2026. The idea is intentionally simple: wear red, make heart health a part of everyday life, share information—and remind the women in our families and communities to take warning signs seriously and actively manage risk factors.
Why this campaign is needed
When the American Heart Association (AHA) launched “Go Red for Women” in 2004, the initial situation was bitter: far too many women were dying from cardiovascular disease – and the issue was not getting the attention it needed. The Go Red campaign was therefore conceived as a low-threshold invitation: Take yourself seriously, take good care of yourself. And get support if you need it.
Today, it has become an international movement – with more than 50 participating countries. Women around the world share their stories and spread knowledge about heart health to their families and friends: What symptoms can indicate a heart attack or stroke? Which risk factors can be influenced? And what can I do to protect my heart in the long term? The goal is the same everywhere: to make women’s heart health visible – and to empower women.
Why the risk is still high today
The fact that Go Red has been around since 2004 and the risk of cardiovascular disease in women is still high is because the big drivers are persistent – and slow to change. High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, lack of exercise and smoking are still prevalent. What’s more, heart health is still too often underestimated in women – partly because symptoms sometimes don’t appear as “classic” as many expect. Warning signs are therefore not always responded to quickly enough. And then there are factors that are very specific – such as certain pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes – which are medically known, but are not yet translated consistently enough in practice as early warning signals into prevention pathways.
Warning signs: How a heart attack can manifest itself in women
In women, too, the most common symptom is chest pain or pressure. In addition, however, it is not uncommon for symptoms to occur that appear less “typical”: Shortness of breath, nausea/gastric complaints, unusual exhaustion, anxiety/restlessness or pain or pressure in the back, shoulder/arm area, jaw or neck. This range is precisely one reason why women sometimes recognize warning signs too late. And the pragmatic rule here is: it’s better to get a check-up too early than too late.
What you can personally take away from “Go Red”
Heart health develops in everyday life – and this is where it can be strengthened. For example, by keeping an eye on blood pressure, blood lipids/cholesterol and blood sugar, taking exercise and sleep seriously, reducing stress, not smoking – and having complaints checked out, even if they feel “strange” or unspecific.
Three measures are therefore particularly effective:
Know your basic values (blood pressure, blood sugar/diabetes risk, blood lipids/cholesterol) and have them checked regularly.
Take warning signs seriously, even if they seem unspecific (e.g. shortness of breath, nausea, unusual fatigue, back/jaw/neck pain).
Actively incorporate relevant life-stage information – such as pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes – into your own preventive care.
More information & materials:
Social Media Kit from Go Red Austria
Note: This article is for information purposes only and does not replace medical advice. In the event of acute symptoms, please seek medical help immediately.
Author: Anja Herberth
Chefredakteurin
