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February is American Heart Month 2023

For this year’s National Heart Month, Team AgLearn is providing information and resources below to spread awareness about this important annual public health campaign.

The information below is a portion of content quoted from President Biden's Proclamation on American Heart Month, 2023 External Link.

"During American Heart Month, we recommit to supporting the more than 120 million Americans living with a cardiovascular condition; advancing groundbreaking and lifesaving research; and expanding access to affordable health care, prescription drugs, and healthy lifestyles.

We encourage all Americans to help bring attention to heart health by wearing red on National Wear Red Day, held on Friday, February 3rd. This month and always, we honor the memories of those we have lost to heart disease, and we celebrate the courage of the countless loved ones who are living strong, full lives despite having heart conditions."

Background

“American Heart Month was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson under Presidential Proclamation 3566 External Link 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.’

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.

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.”

More information about American Heart Month External Link

AgLearn Resources

Additional American Heart Month Resources

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