February 2025: Heart Month

WHEREAS, cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death in our nation, accounting for more than 800,000 deaths each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Michigan is ranked seventh in the nation for the number of deaths per year from heart disease and stroke; and,

WHEREAS, though cardiovascular diseases affect Americans of all genders, races, and ethnicities, Black and Brown Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and people who live in rural communities are disproportionately affected; and,

WHEREAS, cardiovascular diseases - including heart disease and stroke - are also a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, which are highest among women of color; and,

WHEREAS, Black and Hispanic women are disproportionately impacted by heart disease and stroke, and research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger women. Yet, younger generations of women, also known as Gen Z and Millennials, are less aware of their greatest health threat, including knowing the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes; and,

WHEREAS, there are significant biological differences between men and women, and clinical trials have not always adequately enrolled women or analyzed sex-specific differences in the data; and, as of 2020, only 38% of cardiovascular clinical research trial participants are women; and,

WHEREAS, since 2004, the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® movement has addressed the awareness and clinical care gaps of women’s greatest health threat, cardiovascular disease, and continues to make bold moves to save lives and pioneer scientific discoveries; and,

WHEREAS, engaging in regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke, getting quality sleep each night, and managing blood pressure can all reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and help people live longer, healthier lives; and,

WHEREAS, during American Heart Month, we raise awareness of the risks of heart disease and stroke, remember those we have lost, and educate the public on steps we can all take to save countless lives; and, 

WHEREAS, the state of Michigan is committed to protecting and expanding access to quality, affordable health care, addressing the unequal burden of cardiovascular disease in high-risk communities and communities of color, and supporting residents in their efforts to achieve heart health; and,

WHEREAS, Michiganders can join in supporting Heart Month by wearing red on February 7, 2025, to help us raise awareness that cardiovascular disease;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim February 2025 as Heart Month in Michigan, and we honor the lives we have lost to cardiovascular disease and raise awareness of the actions we can all take to prevent it.