In honor of February being American Heart Month, heart health patient organization WomenHeart and Colgate-Palmolive have teamed up to launch the Heart Promises awareness campaign.

Heart Promises will focus on empowering women by providing the knowledge and tools needed to make positive lifestyle changes to help reduce their risk of heart disease. The campaign's online resource, www.HealthyMouthHealthyBody.com, is specifically designed to educate women about the role that proper oral care can play in improving their heart health.

While everyone needs to take care of their oral health, proper oral care is particularly important for women as female hormones can lead to a higher risk of gum disease. For instance, changes in hormone levels due to puberty, pregnancy, and menopause cause women to be at a higher risk of developing periodontal disease - a serious form of gum disease associated with tooth loss and other health conditions. Heart disease and severe gum disease have a number of common risk factors, suggesting that they may also share a causal or directional relationship.

This campaign encourages women to take the WomenHeart Heart Promises pledge - a promise for women to start taking ownership of their heart health by taking a few simple and manageable heart-friendly steps. WomenHeart is the nation's only patient advocacy organization representing the millions of American women living with heart disease.

A growing body of research has demonstrated an association between severe gum disease and certain serious health conditions, such as heart disease - the number one cause of death of women in the U.S.

Why is this relevant???

• More women than men die each year of heart disease


• Women can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle


• Heart disease and severe gum disease have a number of common risk factors, which suggests there may be a relationship between the two


• By brushing with an antibacterial toothpaste, women may not only improve their oral health, but may also help maintain their heart health


• Female hormones can lead to a higher risk of gum disease


• Up to 30% of American adults suffer from severe forms of gum disease, like periodontitis

For additional information on Heart Promises and the association between heart health and oral health, visit www.HealthyMouthHealthyBody.com.