Wear red on Friday to support women

The Illinois Department of Public Health is marking Women’s Heart Disease Awareness Month by asking people to wear red.

The “Go Red for Women” campaign asks that red be worn on Friday.

Health officials hope to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke among women.

More than 13,000 women in Illinois died from heart disease in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Public health Director Damon Arnold has announced $50,000 in grants for programs that target women and girls.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.

And according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women make up about 53 percent of all heart disease deaths.