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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY AS AMERICAN HEART MONTH AND DECLARING FEBRUARY 27TH, 2024 AS GO RED DAY IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, the month of February is recognized as American Heart Month; and
WHEREAS, the annual celebration began in 1963 to encourage Americans to join the battle against heart disease and each year a presidential proclamation pays tribute to researchers, physicians, public health professionals and volunteers for their tireless efforts in preventing, treating, and researching heart disease; and
WHEREAS, heart disease (including coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke) remains the No. 1 cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States and cardiovascular diseases claim more lives each year than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths; and
WHEREAS, heart disease is the leading cause of death in Cook County as well, accounting for 10,270 deaths in 2022 of that, 5,018 were in the City of Chicago and 5,252 were in suburban Cook County; and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the estimated annual incidence of heart attack in the United States is 805,000 new attacks, 605,000 are first attacks and 200,000 are recurrent attacks with Americans suffering a heart attack approximately every 33 seconds; and
WHEREAS, although some progress has been made, it's important to make sure all Americans have access to quality care and as a country we should continue to focus on "Life's Simple 7," which refers to the American Heart Association's seven goals of eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, avoiding excess weight, not smoking, and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar within a healthy range; and
WHEREAS, although heart disease is the leading cause of death for all Americans, disparities exist with nearly half of all non-Hispanic black adults having some form of cardi...
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