Death Rates from Heart Disease Drop, Still More Progress Needed

A steep drop in the death rate from heart disease and heart attacks is a success story of medicine and technology, with more episodes to come.

Heart disease soon may drop behind cancer as the nation’s leading killer. Heart specialists credit drugs to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, the decline in smoking and a continual stream of new heart procedures and gadgets. Emergency care has improved on ambulances and in hospitals.

But many specialists say the story would be even brighter if Americans exercised more, ate more wisely and wrestled the nation’s obesity and diabetes problems under control.

Methodist cardiologist Dr. Charles Olson, patients Tony Sambol and Denise Baccus and members of the Methodist cardiac rehab team were featured in this Rick Ruggles report for the Omaha World-Herald.