Congress and the Texas Legislature often dedicate certain months of the year to various issues in order to raise public awareness.

February is no exception.

This month been chosen as both American Heart Month & Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

This month, State Representative Allen Vaught speaks to both issues.




American Heart Month

Since 1963, the President and Congress have proclaimed February as “American Heart Month,” since cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is the nation’s leading cause of death.

Since 1940, this has also been the leading cause of death in Texas, accounting for two out of every five deaths.

In response to this alarming trend, the Legislature created the Council on Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in 1999 with the mission to educate, inform and facilitate action among Texans to reduce the human and financial toll of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Most recently, the American Heart Association partnered with the Council on Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke and the Texas Medical Association and released a plan in 2008 designed to reduce this disease in Texas by 2012.

This plan focuses on five key goals including prevention of risk factors, detection and treatment of risk factors, early detection and treatment of heart attack and stroke, as well as prevention of recurrent events.

The plan also calls for improved local and state capacity to address these factors.

Additionally, the Council on Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke identified two priority issues for the 2010-2011 biennium:

• Reduce the incidence of stroke in Texas by implementation of a state stroke prevention plan

• Prevent, treat, and control heart disease.

For more information from the Council on Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke and the American Hearth Association, please visit the following websites:

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wellness/cnclhome.shtm

http://www.americanheart.org