The Power of Red: Why Teens Need To Know More About Heart Disease

On the first Friday of February each year, National Wear Red Day, I twin with my mom and grandma. For years, I viewed National Wear Red Day as a fun way to color-coordinate flawlessly with my mom — to show the world that this mother-daughter duo is an unbreakable team. But this worldview changed two years ago when my grandpa found my grandma in the bathroom, where she had fallen and was unresponsive. By the time the paramedics arrived, my grandma was showing signs of having a stroke: slurred speech, difficulty understanding my grandpa, and loss of balance. Thanks to quick intervention from my physician uncle and his colleagues — she was given a drug that dissolved the clot entirely — the stressful weekend ended on a positive note.

My grandmother is one of the most generous people I know. She buys me an entire suitcase of books, games, and other gifts every time she visits us. She reads bedtime stories and poems to my brother and me. Grandma devoted her entire life to giving my dad and uncle the best possible life. It seems unjust that she experienced a stroke and needs a walker to feel steady on her feet.

I was curious to learn that cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and stroke, are both caused by the hardening of arteries. Heart disease is something everyone should be aware of, given that it’s the leading cause of death for women in the United States, causing one in five women’s deaths each year. Deaths are higher for women in marginalized groups. Nearly 59% of Black women aged 20 and older have cardiovascular disease. These are our mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and favorite teachers at school. They inspire us, and they support us. They help our dreams take flight. Yet only 10% of women between the ages of 15 and 24 surveyed recognized that heart disease is the number one killer of women.

Poll an average teenager on health issues that matter to them, and you will likely get a list that reads like this: acne, puberty issues, body image, low self-esteem, substance use, and mental health. It is doubtful that cardiovascular disease even makes the cut. One 2019 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association proved that a meager 4.8% of adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 identified heart disease as a significant health problem facing women of all ages.

Just because our risk of heart disease is low now, as teens and young adults, doesn’t mean we should postpone or ignore the threat that heart disease can pose to the women we love — and our future selves.

In fact, there is scientific evidence that risk factors for heart disease originate in childhood and adolescence. Stress and anxiety may cause spikes in blood pressure; our body releases the hormone cortisol when we are under stress, which in turn causes blood vessels to narrow. An unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise could lead to high cholesterol and sugar levels in the blood as well as the hardening of arteries.

We need to get the word out that 80% of heart disease and stroke are preventable through heart-healthy lifestyles, and the earlier we start prevention, the better. The women in my family support me endlessly. They uplift me, and they encourage me. They are warriors. My grandmother recently weaned herself off her walker through sheer determination and willpower. The mommy-and-me matching outfit trend may wax and wane, but in my family tree, twinning in red on the first Friday of every February represents a fierce commitment to promoting heart health awareness among women.