[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19281]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            WORLD HEART DAY

  Mr. FRIST. Madam President, heart disease is the world's No. 1 
killer. Heart disease is responsible for one in every three deaths. It 
afflicts men, women, and children. It crosses all geographic and 
economic lines.
  That is why on September 26, 2004, the World Heart Federation, 
working with cardiovascular associations in the United States and 100 
other countries, will recognize the fifth annual World Heart Day.
  World Heart Day is a day devoted to heart disease prevention. This 
year's theme is ``Children, Adolescents and Heart Disease.'' But before 
we think it is a problem confined to children in poor countries, we 
need to look in our own backyard.
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: an 
estimated 15 percent of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 years are 
overweight; approximately 22 percent of high school students smoke; and 
one-third of high school students did not meet sufficient standards for 
physical activity. These are troubling numbers and they are all 
contributing factors to heart disease.
  Heart disease continues to claim more lives in the United States than 
any other illness. The seriousness of these statistics cannot be 
ignored and I encourage every American family to take steps now to 
prevent disease in the future. Through education and prevention 
measures, we can greatly reduce the incidence of chronic conditions 
brought about by poor health choices for a whole generation.
  We are working to do our part at the national level.
  Thanks to the Red Dress campaign this year and the involvement of 
First Lady Laura Bush, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the 
American Heart Association and other organizations, we have educated 
millions of women about their risk for heart disease. Now we must 
expand our efforts to include the entire family.
  The American College of Cardiology has already committed to a 
community outreach campaign beginning in 2005 on heart disease 
awareness for children and adolescents patients. I hope other health 
organizations will choose to do the same. The lessons of World Heart 
Day should be shared with the public not just on September 26, but 
year-round.
  I commend the World Heart Federation for organizing this annual event 
and I ask my congressional colleagues to remind their constituents 
about the importance of healthy eating and regular exercise to 
preventing heart disease.

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