Act in time to heart attack signs: update on the National Heart Attack Alert Program's campaign to reduce patient delay.

Outcomes of reperfusion treatment for acute myocardial infarction (MI) can be dramatically enhanced if patients present early after symptom onset. Yet delayed presentation by patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) symptoms (including MI and unstable angina) remains a tenacious challenge. The "Act in Time to Heart Attack Signs" is a public education campaign sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI's) National Heart Attack Alert Program (NHAAP) that addresses early recognition and response to ACS symptoms by patients, providers, and the general public. The campaign's materials and messages are based on those used in a multicenter research program, the Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment (REACT), funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute from 1994-1998. Materials are available for providers, patients, and the public discussing heart attack risk, common heart attack symptoms, the importance of seeking early care, common misconceptions about how heart attacks present, and the importance of accessing care by calling 9-1-1. There is a critical need for all healthcare providers to relay this lifesaving information to the patients seen in their practice settings.