Governor Declares 2004 Year of Women and Heart Disease

Contact: Robby Channell, 601-968-5135 rchannell@mbhs.org

Jackson, Miss. - February 17, 2004 - Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour signed a Proclamation declaring 2004 as a year of awareness for women to know their risk for heart disease, the number one killer of women in Mississippi and the nation.

Statistics show one of every three American women is dying of heart disease. To help change this, health care organizations across the state have joined the Mississippi Heart Truth campaign for 2004. This awareness effort is part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and partner organizations' sponsorship of the national campaign called The Heart Truth . The goal is to give women a personal and urgent wake-up call about their risk of heart disease.

"I commend all the organizations involved in the Mississippi Heart Truth effort for working together to educate women about how to have a healthy heart," said Mississippi First Lady Marsha Barbour, honorary chair of the Mississippi Heart Truth . "Everyone in Mississippi, especially the women, should regularly check their weight, blood pressure and other vital signs . We must all make a commitment to taking care of our hearts by learning the symptoms of heart disease and adopting a heart healthy lifestyle. Just as important, I hope you will remind your mothers, daughters, and sisters to do the same."

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