{{Short description|Campaign meant to raise awareness of the risk of heart disease in women}} [[File:Mrs Bush's Remarks After a Tour of the First Ladies Red Dress Collection.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Former First Ladies Nancy Reagan (left) and Laura Bush (right) dedicate The Heart Truth First Ladies Red Dress Collection at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California on February 28, 2007]]
'''The Heart Truth''' is a campaign meant to raise awareness of the risk of heart disease in women.<ref name="ht"/> The campaign is sponsored in the United States by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, an organization of the United States Department of Health and Human Services;<ref name="ht">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/press/nhlbi_04_campaign.htm |title=The Heart Truth Campaign Overview |accessdate=May 9, 2008 |publisher=National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509103427/http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/press/nhlbi_04_campaign.htm |archivedate=May 9, 2008}}</ref> a similar campaign is promoted in Canada by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. It focuses mainly on educating women aged forty to sixty, as that is the time when the risk of heart disease begins to increase.<ref name="ht"/>
==Campaign history== The campaign began in March 2001 on recommendation from over seventy experts on the health of women.<ref name="ht"/> The research stressed the need to communicate to women about the risk of heart disease, and endorsed The Heart Truth as a means of doing so.<ref name="ht"/>
==Logo and marketing== The logo of the campaign is a red dress. It came into being as a way to attract attention to The Heart Truth, and eliminate perceptions that heart disease is an issue only for men.<ref name="ht"/> The dress reminds women to focus on their "outerselves", as well as their "innerselves", especially heart health.<ref name="ht"/>
The campaign has also conjured a National Wear Red Day, meant to take place on the first Friday of February annually.<ref name="ht"/>
==Events== thumb|left|Group photo at the Red Dress Collection 2004
The Heart Truth has joined with the United States Federal Government and fashion industries, in an attempt to appeal to female audiences.<ref name="ht"/> Red dresses have been displayed across the country, primarily at New York's Fashion Week.<ref name="ht"/> The first Red Dress Collection Fashion Week took place in 2003 when nineteen designers, including Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, and Carmen Marc Valvo contributed dresses that were displayed in the Bryant Park Tents.<ref name="ht"/> Many fashion shows have been put on in recent years during the Fashion Week festivities; many famous celebrities have participated in walking the aisle, including Jenna Fischer, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Morales, Kelly Ripa, Debbie Harry, Venus Williams, Angela Bassett, Rachael Ray, Valerie Bertinelli, Christie Brinkley, Thalía, Vanessa Williams, Raven-Symoné, Allison Janney, Sara Ramirez, Billie Jean King, Katie Couric, Sarah, Duchess of York, Lindsay Lohan, LeAnn Rimes, Christina Milian, Fergie, Jordin Sparks, Ashanti, Hilary Duff, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Rose McGowan, and Eartha Kitt.<ref name="ht"/>
Laureen Harper, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has been a supporter of the campaign and has served as guest of honor at the event at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Ontario for many consecutive years.
thumb|right|Group shot of the models from the 2005 Red Dress Collection
===Laura Bush's involvement=== Former First Lady Laura Bush has been the ambassador for The Heart Truth since 2003. She has led the federal government in giving women more information relating to heart disease.<ref name="ht"/> Bush has coordinated many events relating to The Heart Truth, including a White House ceremony in 2004, the Kennedy Center exhibit, the Reagan Library exhibit, and has participated in all Fashion Week events dating to 2003.<ref name="ht"/>
A signature component of Bush's involvement is her communication with women at hospital events featuring those living with heart disease.<ref name="lb">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/ambassador/index.htm |title=The Heart Truth Ambassador |accessdate=May 9, 2008 |publisher=National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509085726/http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/ambassador/index.htm |archivedate=May 9, 2008 }}</ref> She promotes the campaign through various media interviews as well.<ref name="lb"/>
===First Ladies Red Dress Collection=== In May 2005, The Heart Truth constructed a special exhibition at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., known as the First Ladies Red Dress Collection. The collection featured seven red dresses worn by America's first ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush. The exhibit was unveiled by Laura Bush, in the presence of many Congressional spouses and Cabinet secretaries.<ref name="flrdc">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/events/first_ladies.htm# |title=First Ladies Red Dress Collection |accessdate=May 14, 2008 |publisher=National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514201231/http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/events/first_ladies.htm |archivedate=May 14, 2008 }}</ref>
In February 2007, The Heart Truth moved that exhibit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. There, the exhibit was opened by former First Lady Nancy Reagan along with television personality Larry King and Laura Bush.<ref name="flrdc"/> A conference was held at the library with leaders of the heart disease awareness movement as well as Bush and Reagan.<ref name="ht"/>
===Heart Truth Red Dress Fashion Show 2013=== In February 2013, The Heart Truth presented a fashion show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Celebrities who walked the runway included Minka Kelly, Soledad O'Brien, Wendy Williams, Brenda Strong, Kris Jenner, Jamie Chung, Toni Braxton, Kelly Osbourne, among others.<ref name="ml">{{cite web |url=http://www.msfabulous.com/2013/02/heart-truth-red-dress-show-2013.html# |title=Heart Truth Red Dress Show 2013 |date=February 7, 2013 |publisher=Ms. Fabulous |accessdate=February 7, 2013}}</ref>
==Notable participants== <gallery mode="packed"> Laila Ali in A Pea in the Pod 1.jpg|Laila Ali Eva Amurri at Heart Truth 2011.jpg|Eva Amurri Patricia Arquette at Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Patricia Arquette Garcelle Beauvais at Heart Truth 2011.jpg|Garcelle Beauvais Natasha Bedingfield in Nicole Miller (2).jpg|Natasha Bedingfield Katrina Bowden in Oscar de la Renta 3.jpg|Katrina Bowden Amanda Bynes at Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Amanda Bynes Lynda Carter at The Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Lynda Carter Joan Collins in Stephane Rolland.jpg|Joan Collins Katie Couric at Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Katie Couric Jessi Cruickshank at Heart Truth celebrity fashion show, 2012.jpg|Jessi Cruickshank Hilary Duff at Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Hilary Duff Estelle in Zac Posen.jpg|Estelle Eve in David Meister 2.jpg|Eve Jenna Fischer5.jpg|Jenna Fischer Jennie Garth at The Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Jennie Garth Linda Gray in Pamella Roland 2.jpg|Linda Gray Mamie Gummer at Heart Truth 2010.jpg|Mamie Gummer Samantha Harris at The Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Samantha Harris Taraji P. Henson in Naeem Khan 1.jpg|Taraji P. Henson Julianne Hough in Swarovski 2.jpg|Julianne Hough Pascale Hutton wearing Paul Hardy - Heart and Stroke Foundation - The Heart Truth celebrity fashion show - Red Dress - Red Gown - Thursday February 8, 2012 - Creative Commons -d.jpg|Pascale Hutton Allison Janney3.jpg|Allison Janney Kim Kardashian in Marchesa.jpg|Kim Kardashian Gayle King at Heart Truth 2011.jpg|Gayle King Regina King at Heart Truth 2010.jpg|Regina King Heidi Klum in John Galliano.jpg|Heidi Klum Ali Liebert wearing Momo at 2012 The Heart Truth celebrity fashion show.jpg|Ali Liebert Susan Lucci at The Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Susan Lucci Maria Menounos Heart Truth 5.jpg|Maria Menounos Pauley Perrette in Rebecca Taylor.jpg|Pauley Perrette Giuliana Rancic at Heart Truth 2011.jpg|Giuliana Rancic Robin Roberts at Heart Truth 2010.jpg|Robin Roberts Kimora Lee in Kouture.jpg|Kimora Lee Simmons Suzanne Somers in Ina Soltani (1).jpg|Suzanne Somers Jordin Sparks in Badgley Mischka.jpg|Jordin Sparks Raven-Symoné in Tadashi Shoji.jpg|Raven-Symoné Tamara Taylor wearing Mark Belford – Heart and Stroke Foundation - The Heart Truth celebrity fashion show - Red Dress - Red Gown - Thursday February 8, 2012 - Creative Commons.jpg|Tamara Taylor Cicely Tyson at The Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Cicely Tyson Kristi Yamaguchi at The Heart Truth 2009.jpg|Kristi Yamaguchi </gallery>
==Footnotes== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{commons category|The Heart Truth}} * [http://www.hearttruth.gov Hearttruth.gov] * [http://www.indianheartassociation.org Indian Heart Association] * [http://www.thehearttruth.ca/ The Heart Truth (Canada)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heart Truth, The}} Category:Laura Bush Category:Nancy Reagan Category:Women's health Category:Health campaigns Category:Projects established in 2001 Category:2001 establishments in the United States