On Thursday, February 7, 2008, the Heart Rhythm Society partnered with the American Heart Association and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease to host a briefing on Capitol Hill in conjunction with the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition, which is co-chaired by Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Charles "Chip" Pickering, Jr. (R-MS), and Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Mike Crapo (R-ID). The briefing was titled "Heart Disease and Stroke 101: What Everyone Should Know About the No. 1 and No. 3 Killers and Whether You Are At Risk." More than 50 Members of Congress and their staff were educated about heart disease and stroke — the nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, respectively.

Heart Rhythm Society CEO, James Youngblood, spoke about the Society’s mission and introduced 25-year-old sudden cardiac arrest survivor Daniel Stenberg, who shared his story.

In June of 2004, Stenberg had just moved to Washington, DC for an internship when he suddenly passed out and fell from his chair at work. Two of his coworkers immediately began CPR while another coworker called 911. When the paramedics arrived, they used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to restore a normal rhythm to Stenberg's heart. Today he enjoys an active lifestyle and working at the Federal Reserve. Stenberg has an internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to monitor his heart’s rhythm.

More than 80 million American adults suffer from heart disease, stroke or other cardiovascular diseases. Nearly 2,400 people die from these diseases each day in the United States, an average of one death every 36 seconds. An estimated 920,000 Americans will suffer a heart attack this year and more than 250,000 lives will be lost to sudden cardiac arrest. In 2008, the estimated direct and indirect cost of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. is $448.5 billion.