[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2003)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 6055-6056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3047]


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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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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 24 / Wednesday, February 5, 2003 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 6055]]

                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.

[[Page 6056]]

                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

[FR Doc. 03-3047
Filed 2-4-03; 11:04 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P