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2008 Public Health Action Plan Update: Celebrating Our
First Five Years
Commentary From the American Heart Association
Mark A. Schoeberl, MPA
Executive Vice President, Advocacy
As the theme of our 6th National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke
suggests, we are at a nexus in history between celebrating our
accomplishments and embracing the tremendous challenges we continue to face
in realizing our shared vision of a heart-healthy and stroke-free society.
Earlier this year, our colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention released data that show that age-adjusted death rates have fallen
25.8% for coronary heart disease and 24.4% for stroke. This success should
not be attributed to any one organization, government program, or new
initiative. Rather it is the result of the individual and collective efforts
of an extraordinary cast of committed partners working together. And the
role of National Forum cannot go unrecognized. The National Forum — guided
by the recommendations and action steps outlined in A Public Health
Action Plan to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke (Action Plan) —
inspires, instigates, and sustains the kind of coordination and
collaboration necessary to achieving such success. As American Heart
Association President Dr. Robert Bonow said when the Action Plan was
released, “We already have much of the science and knowledge to help prevent
and treat heart disease and stroke. Now we have a national vision and
roadmap for the public health community to help guide its efforts and
strategies to give Americans a healthier future. This plan will also help
the American Heart Association reach its strategic goal of reducing heart
disease, stroke, and risk by 25% by 2010 — a goal shared by many of our
partners in the public health community.”
Just as we rightfully celebrate this milestone in the reduction in
mortality associated with coronary heart disease and stroke, we are also
keenly aware that not all sectors of society benefited equally. Health
outcomes continue to vary significantly on the basis of race/ethnicity, sex,
socioeconomic status, educational status, and geographic location. As
National Forum members and leaders in cardiovascular health, we must remain
committed to addressing disparities within the United States and around the
world.
And while the news is good relating to deaths from coronary heart disease
and stroke, it is not so good with regard to risk factors. Reducing risk
factors has proven difficult. The most recent National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey and National Health Interview Survey show that
uncontrolled hypertension has declined 16%, cholesterol 19.2%, and tobacco
use 15.4% — short of our goal of reducing risk by 25% by 2010. More sobering
are the data that indicate that the rate of physical inactivity declined
only 2.5% and the prevalence of obesity continues to increase at an annual
rate of 1.39%.
We have the opportunity to continue to build on the solid foundation of
the National Forum and to expand and grow successful collaborations that can
confront and overcome the tremendous challenges we continue to face in our
journey toward a heart-healthy and stroke-free society. The American Heart
Association is extremely proud of the role we have played in the development
of the Action Plan, the establishment of the National Forum, and the
contributions we were able to make towards our shared efforts and successes.
We remain committed to the mission and vision of the National Forum and look
forward to being a part of this important collaboration that will have a
significant role in our ultimate achievement of all of the goals in Healthy
People 2010.
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Page last reviewed: August 18, 2008
Page last modified: August 18, 2008
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke
Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion |
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