WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — To kick of American Heart Month, Feb. 1 is National Wear Red Day!

Friday’s observance is to raise awareness and provide support for women suffering from heart disease.

“Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the United States. It was responsible for one of every four deaths among women in 2009,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website said.

According to the American Heart Association, 455,000 American women die of heart disease each year, compared to 410,000 men.

There are also 12 times as many women dying of heart disease than from breast cancer annually.

National Wear Red Day is observed the first Friday of every February.