Women to gather, wear red, learn to be heart smart

Women clad in red clothes will take over the Wildermuth Gym beginning at 2:30 p.m. this afternoon. \nThe “Go Red for Women” event will raise awareness about women’s heart health and will feature tables for free health screenings, makeup tips from Clinique representatives, snacks and door prizes for attendees. Door prizes will include a dinner with Mayor Mark Kruzan, T-shirts, restaurant gift certificates and a basket of red items.\nThe event, sponsored by the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, the American Heart Association, B97 and the city of Bloomington, is free and open to the public.\nAt 4 p.m., the American Heart Association will hold a photo shoot for its “Go Red for Women” campaign billboards and Web site. Anyone who wishes to be part of the photo shoot will need to sign a release at the event and will receive additional information about heart health in the future.\nHPER Dean Robert Goodman said one of the major difficulties regarding women’s health is the lack of information available.\n“In the past, a lot of the studies were done on men,” he said. “A lot of the things we learned really don’t apply to women.” \nThe problem is that metabolism, hormones, body fat and many other bodily factors work differently in men than in women.\n“It’s really important to understand the risk factors that are unique – separate for women, separate for men,” \nGoodman said.\nDelta Zeta sorority will also be working to promote heart health. In addition to helping with the “Go Red” event at HPER, attendees can expect to see Delta Zeta sisters in red coats passing out informational fliers around campus this afternoon.\nKelli Dove, a vice president of Delta Zeta, said the issue hits especially close to home for her sorority because one of its sisters, Nichole Birky, died from heart problems two years ago.\n“You don’t have to be older to have heart disease,” Dove said.\nDove also expects the photo shoot to be interesting, particularly with a wide range of women.\n“I think the photo will be really neat,” she said. “Everyone can do their own pose of how they love their heart.”\nDove said Delta Zeta helped spread awareness last year with an “IU Goes Red” day, in collaboration with the AHA.\nAccording to the AHA, stroke, heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in American women.\nThe AHA National Wear Red Day was Feb. 1. February has officially been American Heart month since 2005, when President Bush signed a proclamation to that effect.