They added that Congress should stay the course on the vital goal of doubling the National Institutes of Health budget by FY 2003, including NIH heart disease and stroke initiatives. It must be expanded to cover all 50 states so that all Americans can benefit from the taxpayer's investment in research. Each year, more than 220,000 Americans suffer sudden death caused by cardiac arrest. Congress should build upon the Public Health Improvement Act of 2000, which included the Cardiac Arrest Survival and Rural Access to Emergency Devices acts. An estimated 600,000 Americans will experience a new or recurrent stroke this year, and nearly 160,000 will die and many more will suffer from permanent disability.
Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of heart disease.
As many as 30 percent of all coronary heart disease deaths in the U.S. are attributable to smoking, and approximately 18 percent of strokes are attributable to active cigarette smoking. The 107th Congress should enact meaningful Food and Drug Administration oversight of tobacco products. Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.