American Heart Month, 1997

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Part V

The President

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Proclamation 6971--American Heart Month, 1997

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 6971 of February 1, 1997

American Heart Month, 1997

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

More than 700,000 men and women die each year of heart
disease, making it the leading cause of death in our
country. Annually, about 1.5 million Americans suffer
heart attacks, one-third of which are fatal.
Collectively, diseases of the heart and blood vessels
claim about 960,000 American lives annually. These
statistics only hint at the individual and collective
tragedy brought on by heart disease and stroke and
underscore the need for us to do everything possible to
combat cardiovascular diseases.

Research has brought dramatic improvements to our
knowledge of heart disease and how to combat it. We
have learned much in recent years and now know that the
processes leading to heart disease typically begin
early in life and worsen over the years; symptoms often
do not appear for decades. We also better understand
the effects of genetics, gender, and lifestyle. High
blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking,
diabetes, and obesity increase the risk of developing
heart disease; physical activity can reduce the risk of
suffering from cardiovascular disease, including
stroke.

Additionally, research has brought improved diagnostic
methods and treatments for those afflicted with heart
disease. Noninvasive imaging devices can now show the
heart at work inside the body, giving doctors more
precise information about their patient's condition.
And new tests and therapies allow us to detect and
treat a heart attack more effectively and minimize
damage to the heart muscle.

These striking developments in biomedical techniques
and increased public awareness and education have
helped reduce the death rate from heart disease by
nearly 60 percent in the past 30 years, and deaths from
stroke by about 65 percent.

The Federal Government has contributed to these
advances by supporting research and public education
programs of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.
The American Heart Association also has played a
crucial role in bringing about these remarkable
accomplishments through its research and education
programs and the work of dedicated volunteers.

Yet much remains to be done. The incidence of obesity
has risen dramatically over the past 30 years, and
renewed efforts are needed to make all Americans aware
of how they can lower the risks of heart disease by
adopting a commonsense regimen of diet, exercise, and,
in some cases, medication.

More, too, must be done to help survivors of initial
heart attacks live full lives. Within six years of a
heart attack, for instance, more than a third of those
afflicted develop severe and often disabling chest
pain. One-fourth or more of them will have another
heart attack, and another fifth suffer heart failure.
The challenges posed by heart disease are becoming ever
more pressing as America ages and more of us live
beyond age 65--the group most affected by this disease.

In the face of these daunting challenges, we Americans,
acting individually and collectively, can fight heart
disease and give ourselves and our families a healthy
future.

In recognition of these important needs in the ongoing
battle against cardiovascular disease, the Congress, by
Joint Resolution approved December 30, 1963 (77 Stat.
843; 36 U.S.C. 169b), has requested that the President
issue an annual proclamation designating February as
``American Heart Month.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim February
1997, as American Heart Month. I 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 reaffirming our commitment to combating
cardiovascular disease and stroke.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-first.