National Wear Red Day may only come once a year, but Star Jones, a TV personality, attorney, and national volunteer for the American Heart Association, said she works all year round to educate women on their risks for heart disease.

"A lot of people still think of [heart disease] as an old white dude disease," Jones said, but it's the "number one killer of all women, number one killer of black people, number one killer of all Americans," she said. "I'm three for three and I want people to understand what their risks are."

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists heart disease as the "leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States."

Ten years ago, Jones had open heart surgery, the "full-blown open heart surgery where they take your heart out of your body and do surgery on it," she notes. Initially, she had attributed symptoms like fatigue, intense heart palpitations, and lightheadedness when standing to being overweight. Now she knows these are warnings for heart disease for women.

She said her previous lifestyle "should have screamed heart disease," but she did not recognize the symptoms. Particularly now, she said, when demographic groups like millennials operate on "lack of sleep and addition of stress," they are adding to their cardiovascular risk. Jones said people need to know their personal health numbers like blood sugar and BMI, stop smoking, eat less, and move more.

Share:
More In Culture
MLK Jr. Grandaughter Yolanda Renee King on the March For Our Lives Return to DC
March For Our Lives will be returning this weekend to Washington, DC, in the wake of the recent mass shooting seen throughout the country. Marchers include Yolanda Renee King, the only granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. She joined Cheddar News to discuss the importance of the march and activism in general. "I just think that it's so important to have these rallies because we need to demand to our leaders and politicians that they pass legislation and that and we actually need to see action," she said.
How Pride Portraits Uplifts the LGBTQ+ Community
'Pride Portraits' is a trans-led organization aiming to visually represent the LGBTQ+ community one photograph at a time. Eden Rose Torres, founder and president of Pride Portraits, joins Cheddar News to discuss its participants and the issues the LGBTQ+ community still faces.
Countdown to the 75th Annual Tony Awards
The 75th Annual Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 12. Cheddar News takes a closer look at who's nominated and what audiences can expect from the ceremony.
Ways to Determine Your Leadership Style; Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
On this episode of ChedHER: Global VP of LinkedIn Sales Solutions explains how she leads a 1,000+ person team for LinkedIn's $1 billion business, and gives advice for determining your own unique leadership style; Chief Sales Officer at Xometry, joins ChedHER breaks down why women should consider careers in manufacturing, and what opportunities are available for them in this industry; Founder of Pride Live & Stonewall Day, joins ChedHER talks about the mission and story behind Pride Live, and what to expect from this year's Stonewall Day.
Ways to Find Your Unique Leadership Style
Alyssa Merwin, Global VP of LinkedIn Sales Solutions, joins ChedHER to discuss how she leads a 1,000+ person team for LinkedIn's $1 billion business, and gives advice for determining your own unique leadership style.
Viral TikToker Amanda Jones on How Mixing Balsamic Vinegar & La Croix Taste Like Coke
Amanda Jones is the TikToker behind the “healthy Coke” recipe. In her viral post, she shared a concoction of balsamic vinegar and La Croix, allegedly something she learned from her pilates instructor and claimed it tastes just like Coca-Cola — only healthier. Jones joined Cheddar News and walked Hena Doba and Ken Buffa through the unusual recipe to have a taste for themselves.
Load More