Heart disease is America's No. 1 killer. Stroke is No. 3. Cardiovascular diseases cost Americans an estimated $475.3 billion per year in direct and indirect costs. As the baby boomer generation ages, the cost and prevalence of these diseases are expected to escalate significantly. Yet the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invests just 7 percent of its budget on heart disease research, and 1 percent of its budget on stroke research. Since 2003, federal funding for NIH research has not kept pace with medical research inflation.

The American Heart Association spends more than $160 million on research annually. We also work with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and other government agencies that share our goal of reducing disability and death from heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. We believe that a significant increase in funding for these components of the NIH will help all Americans.

The association receives no federal funds for our medical research awards. We believe the government's investment in these health agencies will improve public health. We advocate for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health to help fight heart disease and stroke — Americas leading killers.