Family guidebooks to support heart attack patients

A charity program is going to distribute 100,000 heart attack first aid guidebooks as a support the families of 10,000 heart disease patients.

China is home to 290 million cardiovascular disease patients and the group is at top risk of death compared with other disease sufferers, according to a report on cardiovascular disease in China issued in 2016. The growth of hospitalization costs of Chinese cardiovascular patients has far surpassed the that of GDP since 2004.

Professor Hong Zhaoguang of Beijing Anzhen Hospital said 80 percent of heart attack cases happen in a patient's home. However, most patients miss the first four to six minutes after heart attack symptoms appear due to not knowing first aid or how to respond to a heart attack.

The "golden time" is important because people suspected of having a heart attack have a better chance of recovery if they get treatment within the first hour of the onset of symptoms.

Geng Dezhang, former minister of health, said the program is part of the national campaign for a healthy China and aims to promote scientific and practical solutions to the wellbeing of the Chinese people.

The program is sponsored by Jiankang Shibao and supported by the First Aid Association of Hunan province.