DRUMTHWACKET GOES RED TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON HEART DISEASE IN WOMEN

PRINCETON- The Governor's official residence, Drumthwacket, will be illuminated in red light Friday evening as part of the American Heart Association's Wear Red Day for Women. The national awareness campaign is designed to focus on heart disease, considered to be the number one health issue facing women across the nation and in New Jersey.

"Today, cardiovascular disease is striking more women than ever before," said Governor Jon S. Corzine. "It is imperative that we bring attention to this predator disease to help reduce the risk, improve health and save the lives of our mothers, daughters, sisters, friends and co-workers."

According to the American Heart Association, nearly 14,000 New Jersey women die each year from heart disease and stroke, making it the number one and number three causes of death respectively of New Jersey and American women.

While heart disease is often perceived as an "older woman's disease," the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) estimates it is the 3rd leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 years and the 2nd leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years.

The goal of the Wear Red Day effort is to reduce coronary heart disease and stroke risk in women by no less than 25% by the year 2010.

To learn more about women and heart disease as well as the warning signs of heart attack and stroke, contact www.americanheart.org.

[NOTE TO EDITORS: PHOTOS OF DRUMTHWACKET ARE AVAILABLE AT http://www.nj.gov/governor/]

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Photos and audio and video clips from Governor Corzine's public events are available in the Governor's Newsroom section on the State of New Jersey web page, http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/