More than two of every five Americans die of cardiovascular disease. Today, more than one in five Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease, with more than 2,500 Americans dying from it each day. Clearly, heart disease is a national concern. At least 250,000 people die of heart attacks each year before they reach a hospital. Half of all heart attack victims wait more than two hours before getting help.
Studies show that under-educated people are more likely to suffer heart attacks.
Estimates are that 3 million Americans suffer occasional chest pain. As many as 50 million Americans have high blood pressure, the leading contributor to heart disease. High blood pressure is easily detectable and usually controllable. Of thirty-five countries surveyed in 1991, the United States cardiovascular death rate ranked 17th for both males and females. The highest death rates were in the Soviet Union, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.