American Heart Association says President's Proposed FY 2005 HHS Budget Neglects Americans' Health

2/2/2004

From: Charles Hodges or Eric Bolton of the American Heart Association, 202-785-7900

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -- President Bush's FY 2005 budget comes up short in the battle against our nation's most deadly and costly health threats, such as heart disease, stroke and obesity, according to the American Heart Association. The proposed new budget calls for only a 2.5 percent increase next fiscal year for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and an even smaller increase for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's programs aimed at combating chronic diseases.

"In reality, this does not even add up to an increase," said Coletta C. Barrett, R.N., MHA, chairman of the board for the American Heart Association. "Given inflation, this will either be no increase, or an actual loss for critical biomedical research and prevention programs. For the second year in a row, our nation's health is being shortchanged.

"America's health is steadily declining," continued Barrett. "Heart disease remains our nation's No. 1 killer, and stroke follows closely at No. 3. In total, 64 million Americans suffer from cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke, and almost one million will die annually as a result. And the cost to America is astounding - nearly $370 billion in direct healthcare costs and lost productivity. The only way to combat this high cost in lives, money and life years lost, is through medical research and disease prevention."

Although 2003 marked the completion of a five-year plan to double the budget for the NIH, future prospects look grim. Given a second year with a no-growth budget, it is projected that the institute will fund nearly 600 fewer new research grants.

"The U.S. obesity epidemic is everywhere in the news," added Barrett. "Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Our adolescents rank as the most overweight in the industrialized world. Almost 40 percent of Americans are sedentary. We all see that our health is getting worse, yet the president's 2005 budget cuts the funds that could lead to finding cures and solutions to these very problems."

In a January 2004 poll conducted by International Communications Research on behalf of the American Heart Association, almost 92 percent of respondents thought the federal government should increase the investment for research into cures for both heart disease and stroke, and 70 percent thought it was possible to cure heart disease - if only more money was invested in research.

"To get results, the President and Congress must invest in our nation's health", said Barrett. According to the American Heart Association, critical budgeting areas include:

-- Commit to preventing chronic diseases and seeking cures - Significantly enhance funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program, and invest in promising opportunities by dramatically boosting funding for National Institutes of Health (NIH) heart disease and stroke research. Funding for heart disease and stroke research falls far short of what is needed.

-- Fight obesity that leads to chronic illness - Prevent the growing obesity epidemic by investing in programs that improve childhood nutrition and increase physical activity for all Americans.

-- Ensure that heart disease and stroke patients have prompt access to quality care - Deliver Americans timely, high quality emergency care by supporting automated external defibrillation funding initiatives.

-- Expand the CDC WISEWOMAN program - Support heart disease, stroke and breast and cervical cancer screenings.

"Healthcare should be more than treating sick patients," said Barrett. "We need to focus on finding cures, and preventing America's leading killers and the diseases that burden our society. The American Heart Association urges Congress and the Administration to renew their commitment to medical research and prevention, and invest in a healthier tomorrow."