American Heart Association Applauds President's Commitment to Double NIH Funding in Budget Proposal

2/5/2002

From: Eric Webb or Eric Bolton, 202-785-7900 both of the American Heart Association

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- The American Heart Association is encouraged by the President's fulfillment of his commitment to doubling the overall National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget by FY 2003; however, the association remains concerned that the budget proposal sent to Congress yesterday does not provide sufficient support for the fight against heart disease and stroke.

"Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are the nation's leading cause of death, killing more Americans than the next seven leading causes of death combined. All told, nearly 62 million Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, with almost 2,600 dying each day," said American Heart Association Chairman Lawrence B. Sadwin.

He added, "Heart disease and stroke research funding levels have not kept pace with the burden these diseases impose upon the nation, nor have budget levels provided sufficient dollars to adequately support the burgeoning field of cardiovascular research." The American Heart Association supports an NIH appropriation for FY 2003 of $27.3 billion -- the fifth installment in the five-year, bipartisan effort to double the budget. Over the same period, the association is also calling for at least a doubling of funding for heart disease and stroke research and activities, which remain disproportionately underfunded.

"We urge the President and Congress to dramatically increase funding in the fight against the nation's number one and number three killers -- heart disease and stroke, respectively," Sadwin said. "This year alone, cardiovascular diseases of all types will cost the nation approximately $330 billion in medical care and lost productivity, more than any other disease. More must be done."

In addition to the recommended NIH increases, the American Heart Association is also urging Congress to increase support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Cardiovascular Health State Program and the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry.

Currently, only six states receive comprehensive funding under CDC's state cardiovascular health program, which helps states to prevent and control heart disease and stroke. The association urges an appropriation of $60 million for the cardiovascular program and the stroke registry.

The association is also asking Congress to support other CDC programs, including a $20 million appropriation for its WISEWOMAN program, which provides uninsured and low-income women with screening for heart disease and stroke risk factors (as well as screening for breast and cervical cancer); $130 million for CDC's Office of Smoking and Health's national program to prevent tobacco use, including a public education campaign to reduce youth access to tobacco products; and, a $60 million appropriation for CDC's Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Sadwin added that there are also a number of other legislative initiatives that the American Heart Association urges the President and Congress to make a priority this year. They include legislation to ensure better care for stroke patients, community access to automated external defibrillators, expansion of Medicare's preventative care coverage to include cholesterol and lipids screening, a Patient's Bill of Rights that provides access to emergency and specialty health care, as well as meaningful Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco products.