American Heart Month, 2003

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Part IV

The President

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Proclamation 7644--American Heart Month, 2003

Proclamation 7645--National African American History Month, 2003

Proclamation 7646--Honoring the Memory of the Astronauts Aboard Space
Shuttle Columbia

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7644 of January 30, 2003

American Heart Month, 2003

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Advances in medical research have significantly
improved our capacity to fight heart disease by
providing greater knowledge about its causes, more
innovative diagnostic tools to detect and counter it,
and new and improved treatments that help people
survive and recover from it. Despite these advances,
heart disease continues to be America's number one
killer. During American Heart Month, we renew our
commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease by
encouraging our citizens to learn more about its risk
factors, its various warning signs, and life-saving
emergency response techniques.

Heart attacks result when the blood supply to part of
the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped.
Because many heart attack victims do not recognize the
warning signs until it is too late, only one in five is
able to reach a hospital quickly enough to benefit
fully from treatments. To help Americans survive heart
attacks, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI), which is part of the National Institutes of
Health, has joined with the American Heart Association
(AHA) and other national organizations to create a
major educational campaign, called ``Act in Time to
Heart Attack Signs.'' This campaign encourages
Americans to learn the warning signs of a heart attack
and to call 911 within minutes--five at most--of the
start of symptoms. The campaign also offers educational
materials for both the general public and healthcare
professionals to encourage communication among doctors,
other healthcare providers, and their patients about
the importance of recognizing heart attack signs and
getting treatment quickly.

Far too many Americans are also unaware of the dangers
of cardiac arrest, in which the heart suddenly loses
its ability to function. Most cases of cardiac arrest
that result in sudden death occur when the diseased
heart's electrical impulses become rapid and then
chaotic. About 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest
victims die before reaching the hospital. However, if
treated within a few minutes, cardiac arrest can be
reversed through defibrillation, an electric shock that
allows the heart to resume a normal beat.

Research has shown that early cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) and rapid defibrillation, combined
with early advanced care, can produce long-term
survival rates of 40 percent where a cardiac arrest has
been witnessed by a bystander. The AHA has developed a
nationwide educational campaign called ``Operation
Heartbeat,'' to increase public awareness about cardiac
arrest. ``Operation Heartbeat'' is educating the public
about the warning signs of cardiac arrest, the
importance of calling 911 immediately, and the benefits
of administering CPR until defibrillation can be given.

When Americans take personal steps to improve their
health, our whole society benefits. By developing good
eating habits, being physically active, taking
advantage of preventive screenings, and avoiding drugs,
tobacco, and excessive use of alcohol, individuals and
families can significantly reduce the onset and burden
of heart disease. In promoting new education programs,
supporting research, expanding access to life-saving
tools, and encouraging our citizens to learn more about
cardiovascular disease and lead healthy lifestyles, we
can save lives.

In recognition of the important ongoing fight against
cardiovascular disease, the Congress, by Joint
Resolution approved December 30, 1963, as amended (77
Stat. 843; 36 U.S.C. 101), has requested that the
President issue an annual proclamation designating
February as ``American Heart Month.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim February
2003 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.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two
thousand three, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.

(Presidential Sig.)B