FASHION WEEK Heart health for women promoted

The red dress is the sign of a campaign to educate women about heart disease.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Could red be the new pink?
A new symbol for women's health is hitting the runways of New York's Fashion Week on Friday. Following on the famous red AIDS ribbon and the ubiquitous pink breast cancer ribbon comes the red dress -- the sign of a campaign to educate women about the dangers of heart disease.
As part of the government's "Heart Truth" initiative, the first day of Olympus Fashion Week features a show where celebrities and models such as Vanessa Williams and Angela Lindvall head down the runway in a series of red dresses. The outfits were created by 24 designers, including Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Narciso Rodriguez and Vera Wang.
No. 1 killer
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, with 366,000 dying from it in 2000, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which is promoting the awareness campaign. By comparison, 42,000 women died from breast cancer that year.
"Women have to be constantly encouraged to take care of themselves," said Dr. Barbara Alving, acting director of the Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. "What we're saying is do not forget your heart health."
The red dress was introduced at last year's Fashion Week as the symbol of the initiative to inform women about heart disease.
As part of awareness efforts, Friday has been declared "National Wear Red Day." All are encouraged to wear the color.
Wake-up call
The dresses in Friday's show will be shown in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia and San Diego in March and April, as part of a tour that will also provide health screening and information on heart disease.
"It really is a wake-up call for women," Alving said.
Other events in the campaign include "National Women's Heart Day Campaign" sponsored by Sister to Sister and the Office of Women's Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
That event, a health fair, takes place on Feb. 20 in Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington.
The American Heart Association is also promoting women's heart health awareness, as is Womenheart, the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.
Fashion Week, where designers will be previewing clothes for the fall of this year, started Friday and runs through Feb. 13.