Jimmy Carter

“ As a people, we have improved our overall health practices. For example, there has been a sharp drop in cigarette smoking among middle-aged men who are at the highest risk of heart attack. There has been much progress in the control of high blood pressure which is the major cause of stroke and gratifying and productive changes in our approach to diet and physical fitness.
We still have a long way to go before diseases of the heart and blood vessels are brought under control or eliminated as a major cause of suffering and premature death. ”

“ Diseases of the heart and blood vessels remain the number one killer in the United States, but we have made substantial and heartening progress toward reducing the devastating toll. Deaths from coronary heart disease have declined by 25 percent during the past decade. ”

“ Deaths from stroke have declined by 37 percent during the same period. These dramatic declines are a significant factor in the marked increase over the past decade in life expectancy for all Americans. ”