my platform: women's heath

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By Jeanne Ambrose

Shocked to learn that cardiovascular disease kills one woman every minute, First Lady Laura Bush vows to make a lifesaving difference.

First Lady Laura Bush would love to have a heart-to-heart with the women of America. Her message: Protect yourself from the No. 1 killer of women. That killer, as she was shocked to learn a few years ago, is heart disease.

“I just assumed, like a lot of people do, that cancer was,” the First Lady says. “So when I found out about it … I was really happy to take this on as an issue because I knew that if I didn’t know, most American women didn’t know, and it would be important to get the word out.”

Sitting down for a chat in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room, Bush wore red in support of The Heart Truth campaign, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in February 2007. As the ambassador for the campaign, launched by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the First Lady has helped make the red dress a symbol for women’s battle against heart disease.

The campaign, combined with awareness efforts of the American Heart Association, is working. Fewer women are dying of heart disease. In 2003, when the First Lady joined forces with the NHLBI, one in three women died annually of cardiovascular diseases. By the end of 2004—the most recent year for which data is available—the ratio was one in four women—a decrease of nearly 17,000 deaths.

“We know that the mortality rates for women are dropping,” she says. “More and more women are getting straight to the emergency room if they have any symptoms of a heart attack.”

That’s what Joyce Cullen did two days after she heard the First Lady describe heart attack symptoms a few years ago. Joyce woke in the night with a burning sensation between her shoulder blades, followed by tingling in one of her fingers. She remembered Bush listing symptoms unique to women, including back pain, and decided to head to the hospital, arriving in time to be treated. She credits the First Lady with saving her life].

In addition to recognizing the symptoms of heart attack and seeking timely treatment, prevention also is key.

“The really good news is that heart disease can be prevented and there are very easy steps for all of us to take to change our lifestyles and prevent heart disease,” Bush says. The First Lady, who turned 60 late last year, makes health a priority despite her schedule and the stress involved in being married to the President of the United States—or maybe because of it. Her demeanor, calm and serene, shows no sign of turmoil. She believes exercising, a balanced diet, and her early-to-bed-early-to-rise regime keeps stress levels in check.

“I do all of those things—and the president does, too—that are so important for reduction of heart disease and the reduction of stress,” she says. “We’re under a lot of stress, obviously. We both have ways to deal with it. Working out is one of them. The president is a disciplined athlete and has been his whole life. He works out a lot. Bike riding is what he does now, which is an aerobic, cardio exercise that is good at reducing stress. We take care of ourselves.”

Maintaining a regular fitness routine goes a long way toward boosting health. “If you take care of yourself physically, it really does help mentally as well,” she says. All it takes to get started is a simple stroll around the neighborhood or a walk on the treadmill. It’s never too late to get started. A study of 70,000 women at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital determined that postmenopausal women who walked or jogged for 30 minutes daily reduced their risk of heart disease up to 40 percent.

“I love to walk,” Bush says. “That’s the first step I think people should take if they’re trying to change their lifestyle: Get up off the couch and go for a little walk.”