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Heart and Stroke Foundation shares The Heart Truth at LG Fashion Week

Canadian designers and stars bring red to the runway to raise awareness for women’s heart health

March 10, 2010

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Heart and Stroke Foundation shares The Heart Truth at LG Fashion Week

Canadian designers and stars bring red to the runway to raise awareness for women’s heart health

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March 10, 2010 – Canadian celebrities and top fashion designers are once again joining forces with the Heart and Stroke Foundation to make healthy hearts fashionable at the third annual Heart Truth Fashion Show at Toronto’s LG Fashion Week.

“The face of heart disease has changed - no longer a man’s disease, heart disease and stroke is the leading cause of death for women in Canada1,” says Sally Brown, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. “Every one of the 20 celebrities walking our runway at the Heart Truth Fashion Show is sending a message to all Canadian women: it’s time to protect your heart health”.

Each March since its launch, the red dress symbol has come to life on the runway with the support of the fashion industry and celebrity models at the Heart Truth Fashion Show. As the official symbol of The Heart Truth campaign, the red dress represents women’s courage, passion and their power for change as they share the truth with others and raise awareness about the importance of heart health.

Now in its spectacular third year, the 2010 Heart Truth Fashion Show will see 20 celebrities modeling one-of-a-kind red dresses by top Canadian fashion designers to raise awareness about women’s risk for cardiovascular disease. A standing-room only sellout, and historically LG Fashion Week’s hottest ticket, the invite-only Heart Truth Fashion Show takes place on Wednesday, March 31 at 3 pm in the LG Fashion Week environment at Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Canadian celebrities modelling original red dresses in this year’s Heart Truth Fashion Show include: Erin Cebula, Keshia Chanté, Linda Cullen, Jane Francisco, Robin Gill, Marci Ien, Tanya Kim, Silken Laumann, Mira Leung, Jessica Lowndes, Sheila McCarthy, Ashleigh McIvor, Anne-Marie Mediwake, Tracy Moore, Leah Pinsent, Caroline Rhea, Kathleen Robertson, Joannie Rochette and Crystal Shawanda.

The Heart Truth campaign helps Canadian women make the connection between high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and sedentary lifestyles, and increased risks for heart disease and stroke. The campaign encourages women to reduce their risk factors and empowers them to seek the advice and care they need from their doctor.

Heart disease and stroke affects young and old alike and is impacting a new generation of women in some of Canada’s fastest growing ethno-cultural communities.

“We’re raising awareness that heart disease and stroke are Canadian women’s most serious health concerns,” says Brown. “We aim to significantly reduce the number of Canadian women who live with or die from heart disease and stroke.”

Women can significantly reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke - by as much as 80 per cent - by making lifestyle changes and taking action to protect their heart health2. The Heart Truth’s top actions for women’s heart health protection include: staying smoke free or quitting smoking, exercising and eating right and knowing, controlling, and talking to their doctor about their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

About The Heart Truth campaign
The Heart Truth campaign educates women to identify their risks and warning signs of heart disease and stroke and provides women with the tools they need to take charge of their heart health. The campaign is especially relevant for women 40 to 60 years old, whose risk for heart disease and stroke increases as they age.

Canadians can show their support for The Heart Truth by purchasing and wearing a red dress pin, the official symbol of the campaign, which represents women’s courage, passion and their power for change as they share the truth with others and raise awareness about the importance of heart health. Red dress pins are available for a $2 donation at www.thehearttruth.ca or local Heart and Stroke Foundation offices. One hundred percent of proceeds will be reinvested into women and heart disease initiatives.

The Heart Truth campaign gratefully acknowledges the support of founding sponsor, Becel, and contributing sponsors Ocean Spray, Pfizer Canada Inc., Rogers Consumer Publishing, Shoppers Drug Mart and the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital, without whom the program would not be possible.

About The Heart and Stroke Foundation
The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information on lifestyle changes women can make to reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke visit www.thehearttruth.ca

Print quality images, broadcast-ready video and media backgrounders are available for download at http://www.thehearttruth.ca/media_centre/

For media interviews, contact:

Stephanie Marton, Michelle Elmaleh or Noor Marzook at Edelman Toronto, 416.979.1120
stephanie.marton@edelman.com, michelle.elmaleh@edelman.com, noor.marzook@edelman.com

or

Eileen Melnick McCarthy, Director Communications, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
at 613.569.4361 ext. 318 or emelnick@hsf.ca

Sources:

1. Investing in Canada’s Future 2003-2004, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), 2004

2. How to make sure the beat goes on protecting a woman’s heart, Johnson PA, Manson JE - Circulation, 2005; 111: e 28-33