The American Heart Association is challenging one million women to stop heart disease and Go Red For Women. Women can understand their personal risk of heart disease – the No. 1 killer of women – by taking the Go Red Heart CheckUp, an interactive on-line assessment of their heart health.

The Go Red Heart CheckUp will help women calculate their risk of having a heart attack or cardiovascular disease in the next ten years and make changes to reduce their risk.

To take the CheckUp, log onto to www.GoRedForWomen.org and click on the Go Red Heart CheckUp icon. Women will be asked to enter basic information like height, weight and waist size, lifestyle information such as how much they exercise and if they smoke as well as cholesterol and blood pressure. If important numbers like cholesterol or blood glucose level are not known, the Go Red Heart CheckUp will print out valuable information and questions to ask their healthcare provider. Once they have their numbers, the on-line CheckUp can be completed and the person’s risk assessed.

The American Heart Association developed the Go Red Heart CheckUp in association with female health care professionals, including a cardiologist, a primary care physician and a nurse practitioner. The CheckUp also can be used in a healthcare setting. Professionals can guide women through the process, explain their results and help them put their action plan for heart healthy living into daily practice.