Why We Observe American Heart Month
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American Heart Month was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson under Presidential Proclamation 3566 in December 1963, 10 days after Congress issued a joint resolution requesting the president to issue an annual proclamation.
In his remarks announcing February 1964 as the first American Heart Month, President Johnson urged “the people of the United States to give heed to the nationwide problem of the heart and blood-vessel diseases, and to support the programs required to bring about its solution.” Johnson’s action marked a pivotal point in the nation’s approach to addressing cardiovascular disease.
Not long after the official launch of American Heart Month, the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health was published on Jan. 11, 1964. This landmark publication, released by Surgeon General Luther Terry, MD, was the first federal government report to link smoking and negative health impacts, including lung cancer and heart disease.
We’ve come a long way since 1964. Today, American Heart Month brings together a wide array of public, private and governmental organizations to shed light on how far we’ve come and the work that needs to continue. While annual deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke have declined since the first Surgeon General’s report, heart disease continues to be a public health burden and a leading cause of death for both men and women. Cardiovascular disease accounts for one of every four deaths in the United States every year and many of these are preventable.
Campbell County Health Cardiology is prepared to assist patients in a heart incident, but most importantly, partner with each patient to prevent heart incidents to begin with. To check up on your heart health, trust Campbell County Health and join in our vision to be the number one choice in healthcare for Northeast Wyoming.
Call 307.688.6000 to schedule your appointment with our Cardiology team.