A Public Health Action Plan to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke

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A Comprehensive Public Health Strategy

Every 29 seconds, someone will suffer a coronary event in the United States. Every 60 seconds, someone will die from such an event.  Every 45 seconds, someone will suffer a new or recurrent stroke. Every 3.1 minutes, someone will die from a stroke.  Many people believe that cardiovascular disease only affects men and older people. But heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death for U.S. women and men in all racial and ethnic groups, and sudden cardiac deaths have increased dramatically among people younger than age 35. Causes of Death for all Americans in the United States, 2000

Effective action will require a comprehensive public health strategy and a sustained commitment to its implementation. A Public Health Action Plan to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke addresses these requirements. CDC invited participants to develop the plan, in keeping with its responsibility for undertaking activities to help move the nation toward achievement of the goal for heart disease and stroke prevention under Healthy People 2010.⁵ 

This followed designation of CDC as co-lead agency for this focus area, joining the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which had sole responsibility for this area previously. NIH, with CDC and other partners, participated in the Working Group that guided the planning process. In addition, public health experts and heart disease and stroke prevention specialists in the United States and abroad were asked to participate in the Working Group, one of five Expert Panels, or a National Forum. 

For the Expert Panels, each of which was chaired by an extramural public health expert, 45 national and international experts contributed to formulation of the recommendations and proposed action steps. For the Working Group, which also was chaired by an extramural public health expert, 20 national and international experts served. For the National Forum, which was presided over by the chair of the Working Group, 81 individuals representing 66 national and international organizations and agencies other than CDC participated. With technical support from CDC, these groups developed the substance of the plan. These activities occurred from December 2001 through September 2002. 

The resulting plan belongs to all who wish to use it. For successful implementation, public health agencies and the overall public health community must join with new and existing partners representing every interested segment of society. CDC and other public health agencies will provide leadership for working with partners to assure that meaningful progress is made. Participation is welcomed from all who wish to contribute. Continuing collaboration with NIH as co-lead agency will be important.

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This page last reviewed August 04, 2004

Department of Health Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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