Bill Clinton

“ The Federal Government will continue to support research and public education to improve heart health through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, also at NIH. And all Americans should remain grateful that the American Heart Association, through its research and education programs and its vital network of dedicated volunteers, maintains a crucial role in bringing about much-needed advances in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. ”

“ To help meet this challenge, my Administration has launched the Healthy People 2010 initiative, which addresses health problems that can be prevented through better care and increased public awareness. Among the initiative's ambitious goals are improving the prevention, detection, and treatment of heart disease risk factors, earlier identification and quicker response in the treatment of heart attacks, and prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events, such as second strokes. ”

“ I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join me in reaffirming our commitment to combating cardiovascular disease and strokes. ”

“ Working with dedication and determination, they have developed new treatments and procedures, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, clot- dissolving medicines, angioplasty, and cardiac imaging devices, that have saved many lives. As a result of these advances, the death rate from coronary heart disease has fallen dramatically in our Nation, with a nearly 60-percent reduction since its peak in the mid-1960s. ”