Friday January 30, 2009
Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition and Cardiovascular Disease Awareness
The Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition is a bi-cameral group committed to increasing awareness about cardiovascular diseases and heart and stroke issues. It also acts as a resource center for issues like biomedical research, quality and availability of care, promotion of health and prevention of disease. It is indeed an honor to serve as Co-chair of this coalition, which has done a great job in educating the public about cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, with more than one out of three Americans living with one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. We need to do all that we can to raise awareness and encourage early diagnosis and preventive actions. The coalition has been very successful in undertaking health promotion and education efforts.
In 2007, the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition:
- Co-hosted a well-received CPR Anytime and automated external defibrillator (AED) training for congressional staff.
- Initiated funding letter which helped secure increases in funding for the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program and the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Rural Community Access to AEDs program in the FY2008 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill.
- Co-hosted highly successful congressional briefings about trans fat and cardiovascular disease disparities in women.
- Co-sponsored stroke briefing during Stroke Awareness Month and sent a Stroke Awareness Month Dear Colleague letter.
The month of February and the heart are closely linked together; and it is not just because of Valentines Day. February has been designated as American Heart Month and a national campaign organized to increase awareness about cardiovascular disease among women. It is known as National Wear Red Day.
National Wear Red Day 
Heart disease is the leading cause of death each year killing nearly 700,000 people in America; 460,000 of those are women. National Wear Red Day is Friday, February 1. It is a day when people all across the country wear red to show support for awareness of cardiovascular disease among women. Here are a few suggestions of how you can prevent heart disease:*
- Know your blood pressure and keep it under control
- Exercise regularly
- Don't smoke
- Get tested for diabetes and if you have it, keep it under control
- Know your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and keep them under control
- Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables
- Maintain a healthy weight
The American Heart Association also has Public Service Announcements that are available for the campaigns and topics related to heart disease prevention and awareness.
*Source-National Institutes of Health
Useful Links
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Heatlh Resources and Services Administration