Around 80 MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees wore red one day last week to raise awareness of women’s heart health and to stand against heart disease, the leading cause of death among women in the United States.
Those participating lined the hospital footbridge with “Stand 4 Women’s Heart” posters, on which they wrote the names of women in their lives who have been impacted by heart disease. Wearing red T-shirts and red heart-shaped sunglasses, employees formed a giant heart to honor National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6.
“National Wear Red Day takes a national crisis, like heart disease being the number one killer among women, and creates a very visible conversation among people, so that we contribute to creating awareness,” said Dr. Nissi Suppogu, medical director at the MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center’s Women’s Heart Center, “because that’s the number one step to diagnosis and treatment.”
Around 80 MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees brought awareness to women’s heart health by wearing red on National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Around 80 MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees raised awareness of women’s heart health by forming a giant heart formation on National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Around 80 MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees raised awareness of women’s heart health by forming a giant heart formation on National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Around 80 MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees raised awareness of women’s heart health by forming a giant heart formation on National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Around 80 MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees brought awareness to women’s heart health by wearing red on National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Around 80 MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees raised awareness of women’s heart health by forming a giant heart formation on National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Around 80 MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees brought awareness to women’s heart health by wearing red on National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Being aware of heart conditions for men and women can help people recognize the symptoms of heart disease and can lead to quicker treatment to prevent heart attacks, Suppogu said.
With one in five women dying from heart disease in the United States, it is important to encourage women to recognize heart symptoms and to know key metrics to prevent it, Suppogu added, such as their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, and to work toward healthy goals and a good quality of life.
Only about half of women are aware that heart disease is their leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women’s symptoms often look different; for example, chest pain can often present as discomfort, pressure or heaviness in the chest, or pain that spreads to the back, jaw or arm, unusual fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath, according to a press release. These symptoms can appear with exertion, stress or even at rest – and recognizing them early and getting checked soon can be life-saving.
“If something doesn’t feel right and you are concerned for symptoms involving the heart, don’t wait, get checked,” Suppogu said. “And if your tests are normal but your symptoms continue, seek a second opinion. You are your own best advocate.”
Wear Red Day, which is observed on the first Friday in February each year, is one of the ways the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute is helping raise awareness of the disease and provide education to women in Long Beach during American Heart Month.
The MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute’s Women’s Heart Center is a program dedicated solely to addressing the differences in heart disease between men and women, with a focus on prevention and early detection in the latter, according to a press release. The center is also the only program of its kind serving South Los Angeles and North Orange County, offering women access to advanced diagnostic testing, second opinions and care designed specifically around the unique ways heart disease presents in women.
The clinic operates at the MemorialCare Long Beach Douglas Park Health Center, 3828 Schaufele Ave. Suite 200, with specialized testing performed at Long Beach Medical Center.