For Immediate Release
February 4, 2004
Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush at Heart Truth Event - Savannah
St. Joseph's/Candler Hospital
Savannah, Georgia
11:51 A.M. EST
MRS. BUSH: Thanks so much. And Carole, thank you very, very much
for your very inspiring words. Carole and I have a lot in common. We
both want women to know about their risk for heart disease, we both
love teaching, and we both know what it's like to raise teenagers.
With a 16-year-old at home, I imagine Carole is right now going
through the "never" stage. You never get to drive your own car, you
never get to use the phone, and you're never right. (Laughter.) But
Carole is right in her advice about heart disease and we appreciate you
very much sharing your story with all of us. Thank you, Carole.
President Bush joins me in thanking the Third Infantry Division
from Fort Stewart for their dedicated service. And I see we have some
members over here of the military. Thank you all for coming here.
(Applause.)
We appreciate the many sacrifices that our military men and women
make for our countries and the special burden that is placed upon their
families. All of America thanks you for your courage and your
commitment to your country.
Thanks also to Georgia's First Lady, Mary Purdue, for being here,
and to Mayor Johnson, thank you very much. I understand Mayor Johnson
is working very closely with all the group who is getting ready to host
the G-8. You know, the President and I have invited the world leaders
from the big economies from around the world here to Sea Island,
Georgia, and we're really looking forward to it. I know we've invited
them to the most hospitable state and town there is in our country, so
we're really looking forward to that. (Applause.)
Thanks also to Paul Hinchey and to Dr. Geffen and to Dr. Gordon and
to all the physicians and nurses here for making St. Joseph's a
regional center for excellence.
I'm pleased that Dr. Cristina Beato from the Department of Health
and Human Services is traveling with me today. You'll get to hear from
her in a minute. Dr. Beato and the National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute sponsor The Heart Truth campaign.
We want every woman to know The Heart Truth. The symbol of the
Heart Truth is this red dress which I'm wearing the red dress pin, and
everybody up here is wearing their best red dress. And that is to
remind women about their risk for heart disease.
The women on the stage are wearing red because they want to remind
us that women everywhere are at risk. Many of these women have learned
that first hand. They've survived a heart attack, and they are
committed to caring and educating other women about prevention.
I hope everyone else here in the room will do the same thing when
you leave today, and throughout the month of February, which is
designated American Heart Month.
On Monday, President Bush signed a proclamation designating
February American Heart Month, to bring attention to heart disease.
The President has also proposed more than $2.4 billion for the National
Institutes of Health in his 2005 budget. And this includes a $65
million increase which will help lead to new and better treatments for
heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women
in the United States.
But this money is vitally important, as we are all at risk for this
disease. For the last 20 years, more women than men have died of
cardiovascular disease in America. Nearly half a million women die
every year. In fact, 65,000 more women will die from cardiovascular
disease this year than men.
What's most alarming is that most women don't know about this
risk. Many believe that heart disease is a man's disease and that
cancer is their greatest concern. Yet heart disease kills more women
in our country than all forms of cancer combined. Doctors and
researchers provide hope that we can control this disease. But when it
comes to heart disease, very often our health is in our own hands.
Prevention and education can save lives.
You can join in spreading the message of The Heart Truth by wearing
your best red dress or tie on National Wear Red Day. This Friday,
February 6th, wear red to work or to the grocery store and tell all the
women and men you meet about the dangers of heart disease. When you
wear red on Friday, you'll literally join an army of women who are
committed to creating awareness, even when they're a continent away.
Corporal Tiara Puro is stationed in Baghdad with the Utah Army
National Guard. She read about The Heart Truth campaign, and she was so
inspired by the message that she and the other women in her unit
started eating more wisely and exercising more. And this Friday,
they'll wear red with their uniforms to show that they know the heart
truth. Corporal Puro said, I want to spread the word about heart
health to women here because it's something we can do good for
ourselves as women.
Corporal Puro is right. As wives, mothers and daughters, women
spend most of their time taking care of others rather than themselves.
Some of you are here because you managed to squeeze an hour out of your
day. And you're probably thinking at this very moment that you should
be at the market or in the board meeting or making cookies for the
soccer team.
Oh, we might take time to soak in the bathtub or get a facial, but
these are little perks that make us look good on the outside. I'm
talking about taking care of our health by eating wisely, exercising
and visiting the doctor.
Women love to share advice and information with each other. When a
coworker tells us about a fat-free recipe for double fudge brownies, we
race home and try it. (Laughter.) But if a friend tells us that heart
disease is the leading killer of women in America and that we need to
get a checkup, we might dismiss it and say, "Oh, I'll go later when I
have time."
The time to address heart disease is now. Heart disease affects
women at every age and can begin developing in our teenage years.
Tammy Busby learned the truth about heart disease after she
suffered a heart attack at the age of 37. Three months ago, when Tammy
woke up trying to catch her breath, she wasn't thinking about a heart
attack, even though she had had a history of high blood pressure. When
she was 16, Tammy's doctor warned her about her high blood pressure.
But at that age, Tammy figured that it was something to worry about
when she was in her 70s.
When the pain worsened, Tammy went to the hospital where even the
doctors downplayed her symptoms because of her age. After several
tests, though, doctors finally discovered that the left side of Tammy's
heart was severely blocked. She had a stint placed in her heart and
she's doing very well today.
Tammy encourages her family and friends to learn their risk factors
for heart disease and to pay attention to their health because Tammy
learned that heart disease is often preventable. In fact, 90 percent
of women under the age of 50 who have heart attacks have at least one
risk factor that they can control, like weight or smoking.
Studies estimate that 83 percent of all cardiac events could be
avoided if women exercised, ate a healthy diet, quit smoking and
maintained a healthy weight. But only 3 percent of women in America
actually do all of this. We all know we should exercise and we all
know the excuses for not doing it. We're too busy or we're too tired
or we're too confused about how much is enough. But there's one
absolute when it comes to exercise. Any amount is better than none.
Walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise. I love to walk on
the trails at Camp David or at our ranch. So grab a friend or your
child or your dog and go for a walk. With a busy schedule, it's tough
to make time for exercise, but I try to walk at least three times a
week. And if my mother-in-law, Barbara Bush, can swim 88 laps at a
time, the rest of us can surely walk for 30 minutes. (Laughter.)
You can't strengthen your heart if you continue to smoke. If you
quit today, your risk of heart disease is reduced up to 50 percent in
two years. Exercising and not smoking are great steps to good health,
but this must be combined with a healthy diet and, for many of us, this
is truly the hardest part. I especially love enchiladas and, of
course, barbecue.
I used to resolve to lose weight every New Year. But now my
resolution is to get and stay healthy, and it's not as simple as it
might seem, especially when you have a pastry chef whose idea of a
light dessert is four layers of chocolate rather than six. (Laughter.)
About 30 percent of heart attacks in women are due to obesity or to
being overweight. We can avoid junk food by simply not buying it, or
we can eat more fruits and vegetables. If I can get my husband to eat
broccoli, we can all eat an extra serving of vegetables every day.
(Laughter.)
And women can help improve the welfare of their own loved ones.
It's estimated that women make about 70 percent of their family's
health care decisions. When we make healthy lifestyle choices for
ourselves, our families will, too.
Exercise and healthy eating will make you feel great, but only a
doctor can give you a clean bill of health. So I urge you to visit
your doctor and learn your risk factors. Even if you're feeling fine,
get your blood pressure and your blood sugar tested and your
cholesterol checked, and learn the symptoms associated with a heart
attack. Women often have what's called a silent heart attack, one
without symptoms. Studies show that symptoms women do experience like
extreme fatigue, nausea, dizziness and shortness of breath are so
common that many women don't realize they're having a heart attack.
Waiting for intense or severe symptoms that may never come can be
deadly. Early and aggressive help can stop a heart attack.
Preventive screenings, healthy eating and exercise are vital steps
we can all take to improve our health. But the best preventive
medicine is education. A few days after my visit to Kansas City with
The Heart Truth campaign, the doctor sent me an inspiring story from
the newspaper about the power of education. When Joyce Cullen awoke in
the middle of the night with chest pain, her first thought wasn't a
heart attack. But Joyce had watched the news coverage that day of my
visit to Kansas City and she had learned that the symptoms of heart --
learned the symptoms of heart disease and realized that she had many of
them. She went to the hospital where she suffered a heart attack.
Joyce had surgery and is in good health today, and she joined us at
the White House on Monday to share her story. Joyce is proof that by
informing women about heart disease and educating every American about
prevention, we can save lives. With the many risk factors for heart
disease, our greatest risk is ignorance.
So I encourage every one of you to go home, put on your favorite
red dress or tie, and tell everyone you know that heart disease doesn't
care what you wear. You owe it to your friends and your loved ones,
and most important, you owe it to yourself to know the risk for heart
disease. And since everyone in here does know those risks for heart
disease, please share The Heart Truth. Together, we can make a
lifesaving difference through education and prevention.
Thank you all very, very much.
END
12:04 P.M. EST
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