[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          AMERICAN HEART MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish everyone a 
happy Valentine's Day.
  As we know, this is the day that everyone speaks from the heart. This 
is a day more flowers, especially roses, are given to loved ones, more 
chocolate and other boxes of candy are purchased. But I would like to 
call attention to this heart day and our heart health.
  While we celebrate Valentine's Day, let us not forget our heart and 
the signs it gives off, or in some cases, signs that do not give off 
that are important.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1963, a congressional mandate designated February as 
American Heart Month. Because Valentine's Day is the day of the heart, 
it is fitting to raise awareness that heart disease kills nearly one 
million Americans every year, which is about 41 percent of deaths here 
in the United States.
  Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. Every 33 seconds 
an American dies from heart disease, and every 21 seconds someone 
suffers a heart attack. Due to these statistics, Americans need to 
become more educated on heart disease risks, prevention, and treatment.
  Heart disease is also the number one killer for women. About one in 
five women have some form of heart disease. Even though surveys show 
that women view breast cancer as a much greater risk to their health 
than heart disease, the reality is that a woman's lifetime risk of 
dying from heart disease is one in two, whereas it is one-in-nine 
lifetime risk for contracting breast cancer, which is also important to 
be educated and seek examination.
  High cholesterol and hypertension are two of the main causes of heart 
disease, which is alarming considering the following statistics. 
Approximately 50 percent of women have cholesterol levels of 200/dL or 
higher. Seventy-nine percent of black women and 60 percent of 
Caucasians over the age of 45 were classified as having hypertension.
  Further, women often experience other AIDS-related diseases, such as 
arthritis and osteoporosis that can mask heart disease symptoms and 
delay the seeking of necessary medical care.
  There are also critical preventive measures that include tobacco-use 
cessation, regular exercise, reduced daily alcohol intake, and 
controlled blood pressure that women should know of and take to try to 
avoid this fatal disease.
  While heart disease is also the number one killer in my State of 
California, the good news is that heart disease in California is less 
than the national average. We must ensure that fighting this disease is 
on the forefront of our agenda.
  In addition to having annual checkups, screening and participating in 
regular exercise, it is important to be aware of the heart attack 
symptoms, which include uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or 
pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes; pain 
spreading to the shoulders, neck and arms; chest discomfort with light-
headedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath; atypical 
chest pain, stomach or abdominal pain, nausea, or dizziness.
  Women typically do not have the crushing chest pain, which is 
considered a classic symptom. As a result, women's symptoms can be 
overlooked until it is too late.
  Heart disease is a critical health issue. Both men and women need to 
understand how they can prevent and detect heart disease. Both men and 
women need to become aware of heart attack symptoms and what to do if 
they experience any of these symptoms. We need a national effort to 
raise awareness of this disease.
  Perhaps most of all, as the new co-chair of the Congressional Caucus 
on Women's Issues, I urge all of my colleagues to please make sure they 
understand the facts and that they, their mothers, sisters, brothers, 
uncles, daughters all get screened on an annual basis.
  So, happy Valentine's Day, Mr. Speaker; and let us not forget the 
heart.

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