Montefiore medical professionals and New Yorkers gathered at Montefiore Moses Campus donning red to shine a light on the importance of heart health.  

Today is Wear Red Day, and health officials are taking the time to focus on heart disease, which kills hundreds of thousands of Americans yearly.  

According to the New York City Department of Health, the premature death rate due to heart disease is twice as high in neighborhoods with high poverty. 

Montefiore says that poverty makes it harder for people to access healthier foods, which can lead to high cholesterol and diabetes – two things connected to heart health issues and cardiovascular disease.  

Doctors say with such dire statistics on heart health, it’s important to make an appointment to check on your heart with your primary care physician.