The American Heart Association is encouraging families in the Region and around the country to “Be the Beat” on Friday, February 3, 2023, as a part of the Association’s Go Red for Women National Wear Red Day. This National Wear Red Day and throughout February, American Heart Month, the Association is urging at least one person in every household to learn CPR or Hands-Only CPR. Experts say CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival – which is key since about 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die, and 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home.
“If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of a loved one: a spouse, a parent, or a friend,” Beth Keyser, President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana. “We are proud to support the American Heart Association’s Hands-Only CPR campaign and help bring awareness to the importance of knowing CPR this Heart Month. We encourage people to be prepared for a cardiac emergency by learning Hands-Only CPR to help save lives.” Hands-Only CPR involves two steps as shown in a 90-second video available at heart.org/handsonlycpr .
The public is also invited to join the American Heart Association for an educational CPR Anytime training session on Thursday, March 30th at Avalon Manor in Merrillville at 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. Registration is required. The training course does not provide certification but instead is an educational, thirty-minute session designed for participants to learn Hands-Only CPR.
According to the American Heart Association, people feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct rate when trained to the beat of a familiar song. All songs in the association’s ‘Don’t Drop the Beat’ playlist are between 100 – 120 beats per minute, the same rate at which rescuers should perform compressions when administering CPR. The beat of any of several songs including “Stayin’ Alive,” by the Bee Gees, “Crazy in Love,” by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, “Hips Don’t Lie,” by Shakira” or “Walk the Line,” by Johnny Cash can “Be the Beat” to save a life, a news release said.
In addition to learning Hands-Only CPR, on National Wear Red Day the American Heart Association encourages people to take action by:
• Wearing red on National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 3, 2022, to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease. The iconic Red Dress pin and other apparel are available at ShopHeart.org .
• Making a donation to support the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association at WearRedDay.org .
• Joining the conversation by using #NWIGoesRed, #WearRedDay, #HeartMonth and #GoRedforWomen on social media.
