In the cities where the education campaign occurred, more people with heart attack symptoms came to the emergency department. The long-term goal is to reduce the time people delay seeking emergency care for heart attack because the quicker that people seek treatment, the greater their chances of surviving the heart attack and reducing damage to the heart. The AHA has updated the way it computes age-adjusted death rates from heart attack and stroke, resulting in death rates that scientists say more realistically depict the true burden of cardiovascular disease. The new death rates are published in the AHA's 1999 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update. It was also reported this past year that developing countries like China and India are facing an epidemic of heart disease and stroke similar to what the U.S. faced 30 years ago that could take an economical toll on their countries.
Nitric oxide is a key component of blood pressure.
Fifty million Americans have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.