Ahead of February’s American Heart Month, the American Heart Association announced that since 1999, heart disease and stroke death rates have significantly declined.

In fact, heart disease deaths are down 25.8 percent, while stroke deaths are 24.4 percent below the 1999 statistic. The Heart Association has already met its 2010 goal to reduce deaths from coronary heart disease by 25 percent, while the same objective for stroke deaths is nearly met.

When compared to the 1999 data, the Heart Association says the reduction in mortality saved about 160,000 lives in 2005. If the trend continues, 2008 numbers could show a 36-percent decline in heart disease death and a 34-percent decline in stroke death.

The association cautions, though, that risk factors leading to these heart-related deaths could curb the downward trend. Those risks, prevalent among Americans, include diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity and tobacco use.

Measures that have helped lead to a reduction in deaths include improvements in medication and technology, according to an American Heart Association news release. In addition, control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as smoking cessation efforts, have played a role in the decrease.

A late January story in The New York Times asserts that a low-salt diet might be one of the best ways to help lower blood pressure. In fact, at a time when about 60 types of drugs are struggling to reduce rates of hypertension in the U.S., the Times article mentions that the Food and Drug Administration is considering whether salt content should be more prominent on food labels.

Seventy million people in the U.S. have hypertension, and about half of those people are sensitive to salt, according to the story. Only 10 percent of the general U.S. population experiences the same sensitivity. Hypertension also can result from obesity, diets low in fruits and vegetables and lifestyles lacking exercise.

In fact, according to the story, diet and exercise could play the best role in managing hypertension. Also, a diet limited to 1,600 milligrams of salt per day – about a teaspoon – can push systolic blood pressure down five points.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) might help maintain heart health. A small study conducted by researchers from King’s College London suggests EPA could offset effects of arterial stiffness, according to nutraingredients.com.

Consumption of the fatty acid has in the past shown to improve heart rhythms, reduce risks of second heart attacks and decrease risks of cardiovascular disease. The story also noted a September study that showed omega-3 fatty acids might improve elasticity of blood vessels and improve overall cardiovascular health.