10,000 replies were recorded in the first six weeks after the article was printed in the February 1997 issue. Unfortunately, many of the anecdotal stories related to loved ones now not present because such symptoms were not acted upon. This flashback seemed to bring out the adrenaline in such a way that readers promised themselves that never again would they take lightly these chest symptoms. It was as if the guilt from losing someone had ignited a bonfire of personal commitment to save another in honor of one lost. It is this type of dedication that makes citizens willing to be deputized into action in an all out effort to reduce significantly deaths from heart attacks within the United States.
Heart attacks remain the number one killer of the adult population since the turn of the century .
This is being repeated going into the new century. The Reader's Digest message challenges us to understand that this need not continue as such. Exposing these early symptoms makes heart attack deaths vulnerable. The secret is learning that the Achilles heel of the problem lies in the early stages of a heart attack where mild chest symptoms occur often enough to give it away. What's so vital at this critical moment is that these symptoms be recognized and not be placed on the back burner allowing time to run out like a train coming down the tracks too late for our escape.