The Heart Truth / Red Dress Project

The primary message driving The Heart Truth campaign is simple: Heart disease is not just a problem for men. The campaign pairs this message with an arresting visual image--the Red Dress--as the national symbol for women and heart disease.

As part of The Heart Truth campaign, Mrs. Bush helped debut The Red Dress Project at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York on February 14, 2003, during American Heart Month. This groundbreaking project launched the red dress as an icon to help raise awareness of women's risk of heart disease.

On Valentine's Day 2003, Mrs. Bush participated in morning show interviews in front of a collection of 19 spectacular red dresses from America's most prestigious designers to encourage women to lead healthy lifestyles and take care of their heart by eating healthy foods, routinely exercising, and by seeing their doctor regularly for preventive checkups.

The Heart Truth campaign began in response to recommendations from more than 70 experts in women's health who met in March 2001 to develop a national action plan to reduce the toll of heart disease on American women. The Heart Truth is especially aimed at women ages 40 to 60, the age group when a woman's risk of heart disease begins to rise. But its messages are also important for younger women since heart disease develops gradually and can start at a young age. The goal of The Heart Truth campaign is to help all women realize that it is never too late to take action to prevent and control the risk factors of heart disease.

The Red Dress Project of The Heart Truth campaign brings the issue of women and heart disease into the spotlight through a partnership with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the fashion industry. The project also features the red dress pin created by internationally renowned designer Angela Cummings. Plans are underway for The Red Dress Project to visit local communities around the country with a visual display of The Red Dress collection in conjunction with heart disease education events for women. For more information on The Heart Truth campaign and The Red Dress Project visit: http://www.hearttruth.gov