American Heart Month, 2024

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 10698 of January 31, 2024

American Heart Month, 2024

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

This American Heart Month, we recommit to promoting
heart-healthy lifestyles, expanding access to quality
health care, and breaking new bounds in heart disease
research and treatment.

Each year, heart disease takes the lives of nearly
700,000 Americans. It is the leading cause of death in
our country. Too many of us are familiar with the pain
of losing a loved one to a heart attack, stroke, or
coronary heart disease. There is still hope, however:
With the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and access to
good health care, these conditions can often be
prevented and lives can be saved.

That is why my Administration is committed to giving
families the tools they need to stay healthy. In 2022,
we hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger,
Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years and released a
national strategy to end hunger and reduce diet-related
diseases by 2030. Our strategy includes improving food
access and affordability by providing free, healthy
meals to millions of students, expanding incentives for
fruits and vegetables in the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, and expanding Medicaid and Medicare
coverage to provide nutrition and obesity counseling.

I have often said that health care should be a right,
not a privilege. Every American deserves access to the
health care and treatment they need. In 2022, I was
proud to sign the Inflation Reduction Act, which, once
in effect will cap the total out-of-pocket drug costs
for seniors and others with Medicare at $2,000 per
year, saving nearly 19 million families an average of
$400 per year. I have also improved access to dental
services for people with Medicare who need certain
cardiac procedures--these dental services have been
shown to reduce unnecessary and preventable acute and
chronic complications for the patient. These measures
ensure that people on Medicare who have heart disease
will be better able to access the preventative services
and treatments they need.

Additionally, we are working to advance new
breakthroughs on a range of diseases. Our Advanced
Research Projects Agency for Health is working to
accelerate major biomedical innovations in preventing,
detecting, and treating life-threatening conditions
like Alzheimer's, diabetes, and cancer. This is the
kind of progress that can lead to new advancements for
cardiovascular diseases.

It is also important for every American to be aware of
individual actions we can take to keep our hearts
healthy: Exercising regularly, eating well, managing
weight, and avoiding smoking or vaping are proven to
reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Experts also
recommend that everyone should learn the warning signs
of a heart attack and stroke and that they should
consult a doctor if they experience risk factors or
symptoms.

This Friday, February 2nd, I encourage every American
to raise awareness about heart health by wearing red on
National Wear Red Day. During American Heart Month, may
we remember the lives of all those who have been lost
to heart conditions and all the people who live with
these conditions

each day. My Administration will continue working to
put a heart-healthy lifestyle within the reach of every
American.

To learn more about heart health, please talk to your
health care provider or visit CDC.gov/heartdisease.

In acknowledgement of the importance of the ongoing
fight against cardiovascular disease, the Congress, by
Joint Resolution approved December 30, 1963, as amended
(36 U.S.C. 101), has requested that the President issue
an annual proclamation designating February as
``American Heart Month.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, do hereby proclaim
February 2024 as American Heart Month, and I invite all
Americans to participate in National Wear Red Day on
February 2, 2024. I also invite the Governors of the
States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of
other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United
States, and the American people to join me in
recognizing and reaffirming our commitment to fighting
cardiovascular disease and extending the promise of a
long and healthy life across this country.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.