[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8625 of January 31, 2011

American Heart Month, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Heart disease is a staggering health problem and a leading cause of
death for American women and men. Thankfully, there are steps each of us
can take to prevent this chronic disease. In a time when one in three
adults in the United States is living with some form of cardiovascular
disease, American Heart Month provides an important reminder that it is
never too early to take action to improve our heart health.

[[Page 1966]]

All Americans should be aware of risk factors that can lead to heart
disease, including: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes,
obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and family history.
Practicing everyday habits such as eating a balanced diet, maintaining a
healthy weight, limiting sodium consumption, exercising regularly,
avoiding tobacco, and moderating alcohol intake can reduce these risks.
Each of us can be proactive about our well being, and my Administration
is committed to helping Americans protect themselves from chronic
conditions like heart disease. Under the Affordable Care Act, all new
individual and group health plans must now provide recommended
preventive care and services without a copayment, coinsurance, or
deductible. These potentially life-saving screenings include blood
pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and body mass index tests, as well as
counseling on quitting smoking, losing weight, and eating well. To learn
more about the risk factors and prevention of heart disease, I encourage
all Americans to visit: www.CDC.gov/HeartDisease.
To save lives in the fight against cardiovascular disease, my
Administration is investing in world-class research to prevent and treat
this and other chronic diseases. We are also continuing to raise
awareness of heart disease and its risk factors among Americans of all
ages. First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative is safeguarding
healthier hearts for the next generation by addressing the factors that
contribute to childhood obesity and its serious health consequences. The
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's The Heart Truth campaign
sends women of all ages an urgent message about their risk of heart
disease. In support of women's heart health, I encourage all Americans
to wear red or the campaign's Red Dress Pin on National Wear Red Day on
Friday, February 4 in honor of the movement to increase awareness of
women's heart disease. Learn more by visiting: www.HeartTruth.gov.
During American Heart Month, we honor the health professionals,
researchers, and heart health ambassadors whose dedication enables
countless Americans to live full and active lives. This month, let us
rededicate ourselves to reducing the burden of heart disease by raising
awareness, taking steps to improve our own heart health, and encouraging
our colleagues, friends, and family to do the same.
In acknowledgement of the importance of the 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, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim February 2011 as American Heart Month, and I
invite all Americans to participate in National Wear Red Day on February
4, 2011. I also 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 recognizing and
reaffirming our commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of

[[Page 1967]]

the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA