Ronald Reagan

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

“ Americans are increasingly aware of the crucial role lifestyles play in affecting their risk of these diseases. By recognizing the importance of proper nutrition, reduced smoking, exercise, and prevention of high blood pressure, our citizens are making a major contribution to the fight against heart disease. The role of prevention in cardiovascular diseases is especially vital because the initial symptoms are so frequently lethal or permanently disabling. ”

“ For most heart and blood vessel diseases, death rates have been declining slowly but steadily since 1950. Over the past decade, death rates have declined in all cardiovascular-disease categories and at a pace double that of the death rate for all other causes.
In human terms, we know that 300,000 Americans who would have died from cardiovascular disease during 1981 are still alive today. This development has been a major contributing factor to the three-year increase in the life expectancy of Americans in the past decade. ”