This photo released by the White House shows first lady Laura Bush looking on as President Bush signs a proclamation designating February as American Heart Month, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2005 in the Oval Office of the White House. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

    BEIJING, Feb. 2 -- First lady Laura Bush, in an interview with CNN Tuesday, called for women's attention to heart disease and encouraged them to make positive changes in their lifestyles.

    To boost national awarness for prevetion of the disease, President Bush was to proclaim February as American Heart Month. The United States has already designated Febuary 4 as the National Wear Red Day when all Americans are encouraged to show support for fighting heart disease by donning the color.

    Mrs. Bush said she used to be unaware that heart disease was the leading killer of women in the United States.

    "When I found that out, I was really amazed," she said. "I knew if I didn't know, then probably a lot of other women didn't know either."

    Many women may not know that symptoms of a heart attack may differ from those of men -- for instance, a jaw, back or neck ache instead of chest pain, Mrs. Bush said.

    A recent poll conducted by the American Heart Association found that only 13 percent of women considered heart disease their greatest health risk. In the same 2003 poll, less than half of them knew heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. Enditem

(Agencies)