Heart disease and stroke still leading killers.

• Position: Statestats - Brief Article

Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death for both men and women among all groups in the United States. They are also major causes of disability. Although cardiovascular disease is often thought to affect mostly men and older people, it is a major killer of women and people in the prime of life.

More than 60 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and other conditions.

More than 2,600 Americans die each day of cardiovascular disease. That is an average of one death every 33 seconds.

The economic impact of cardiovascular disease on the health care system continues to grow as the population ages, reaching $299 billion in 2001.

Three health-related behaviors contribute markedly to the problem:

* Tobacco use. Smokers have twice the risk for heart attack as nonsmokers. Nearly one-fifth of all deaths from cardiovascular disease, or about 190,000 deaths a year, are smoking-related.

* Lack of physical activity. People who are sedentary are twice as likely to get heart disease than people who are active. More than half of adults do not exercise enough.

* Poor nutrition. People who are overweight have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Only 18 percent of women and 20 percent of men report eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Almost 60 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.

Modifying these behaviors is critical both for preventing and controlling cardiovascular disease.

Legislatures address heart health in a variety of ways

Creating statewide cardiovascular health programs with federal funds:

Alabama

Alaska

Arkansas

Colorado

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Georgia

Illinois

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Massachusetts

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

New York

North Carolina

Ohio, Oklahoma

Oregon

South Carolina

Tennessee

Utah

Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Requiring physical education in schools:

California

Illinois

Establishing task forces to coordinate education and treatment of cardiovascular disease and stroke:

Alabama

Florida

Illinois

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Mississippi

New Hampshire

Ohio

Tennessee

Texas

Establishing commissions on physical fitness:

Alabama

California

Illinois

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Mississippi

Nevada

New Jersey

North Carolina

Ohio

Tennessee

Vermont

Supporting research on heart diseases and promoting public education programs:

Californ...