A change of heart
FDR's death shows how much we've learned about the heart
Life expectancy, which should have soared following the introduction of antibiotics and vaccines, was held back by heart disease and stroke. No one had a clue about the source of the destructive power of these diseases or what to do about them. Roosevelt became a symbol of the vast uncharted territory of cardiovascular medicine. In the postwar years, his death would serve as a wake-up call, shocking Americans and uniting scientists and politicians behind a massive research effort.
Following Roosevelt's death and World War II, the nation's scientists persuaded President Truman to make medical research a national priority. In 1948, Congress created the National Heart Institute. That same year, the Framingham Heart Study began. Since then, deaths from heart disease have declined by 60 percent and from stroke by 70 percent, because of advances in treatment and prevention. Still, about two thirds of people with high blood pressure either don't know it or don't have it under adequate control. The numbers are even worse for cholesterol control. About 1 in 4 American adults still smokes, and obesity is a growing problem. We have come a long way since Roosevelt's death, but we have a long way to go.
From A Change of Heart by Daniel Levy, M.D., and Susan Brink Copyright (c) 2005 by Daniel Levy, M.D. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House Inc. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not of the U.S. government.
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