On Sunday, January 11, the Iowa women's basketball team asked their fans to wear red to the game for Go Red For Women Day, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Angelica Vannatta, regional director for the American Heart Association, talks about Go Red:

Tell us about the game.

The game is Sunday against the Minnesota Gophers. Game time is 4:35 p.m., with doors opening at 3. I believe we have some free tickets available, you'll just have to check with your local MidWestOne Bank location in Iowa City or Coralville, or you can purchase tickets at the UI Athletic Office at 800-IA-HAWKS (800-424-2957), or by visiting HawkeyeSports.com.

Why are the Hawkeyes asking fans to leave their black and gold at home and wear red on Sunday?

Red is the color of the Go Red for Women movement. It's a national awareness campaign of the American Heart Association, aimed to educate women about their personal risks of cardiovascular disease. We have many supporters across the country, and thanks to them, the color red now stands for the ability for all women to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives. Wearing red is just simply a very powerful way to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women.

How many women are affected by cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. More women die of cardiovascular disease than the next five causes of death combined, and that does include all forms of cancer, including breast cancer. It's something that we all need to be more aware of. It will kill approximately 450,000 women each year, or about one woman a minute.

Are the warning signs of heart disease and stroke in women the same as for men?

Women have some of the same warning signs, although they do tend to be a little bit different. Most heart disease in women is brought on slowly—there's mild pain or discomfort. Women are more likely to experience some of the less intense symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, back or jaw pain. Some of the stroke warning signs for women include sudden numbness, weakness of the face, seeing in only one eye, or severe headaches. Essentially women's warning signs tend to be a little bit less shocking than men's.

Are women protected from heart disease simply because they are women?

Absolutely not! Young people are not protected from heart disease simply by age, either. Cardiovascular disease affects men and women, both young and old. It's extremely important for all of us to be aware of the risk factors and warning signs. Some of these risk factors include tobacco smoke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, physical inactivity. It's important for women to know that they may not exhibit the same risk factors or warning signs as men. That's why it's so important for us to have these discussions with our physicians.

What do you hope to accomplish with reference to heart disease and stroke by hosting the women's basketball game this Sunday?

Our goal is to raise awareness among women and men that cardiovascular disease does affect everybody, including women, and it's important that women are aware that this is, again, their number one killer. By wearing red we can support the entire Go Red for Women movement. The Go Red for Women movement, again, is to educate women on their risks, but we also focus a lot on prevention. There are a lot of research projects being done to prevent women from being affected by heart disease.

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