Public Health Action Plan to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke. Executive Summary and Overview.

摘要

Heart disease and stroke are among the nations leading causes of death and disability, projected to cost more than $351 billion in 2003. Heart disease and stroke can affect anyone without regard to age, race, ethnicity, sex, or income level. And as our population ages, these largely preventable conditions are projected to increase. This nation has the tools to substantially reduce the devastating impact that heart disease and stroke have on individuals, their families, and the nations economy. We can take significant steps toward a heart-healthy and stroke-free America through several actions. These include early and continuous health education that focuses on prevention and healthy lifestyle choices; medical services that provide the most effective drugs and therapies without disparity; and environmental policies in schools, work sites, and communities that promote good nutrition, regular physical activity, and abstinence from smoking. The Action Plan offers a new promise of success. Quite simply, this plan gives health practitioners and policy makers a framework for developing a health care system that equally supports treatment and prevention. This plan is a collaborative effort designed to guide the nation in taking action, strengthening capacity, evaluating impact, advancing policy, and engaging in partnerships to reverse the epidemic of heart disease and stroke.