[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 1997)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 5291-5292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2932]



[[Page 5289]]

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Part V





The President





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Proclamation 6971--American Heart Month, 1997
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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 1997 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 5291]]

                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.

[[Page 5292]]

                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.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 97-2932
Filed 02-03-97; 11:26 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P