Background
In 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services launched the Million Hearts as a national public-private initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. The project focuses on heart disease prevention, educational campaigns, care improvement, and local health initiatives. To date, Million Hearts has emphasized the ABCS of heart disease and stroke prevention: Aspirin when appropriate, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation.
Next Steps
It’s time for the campaign to take the next step with an explicit focus on closing gaps in heart failure care, especially among African Americans. Strides in heart attack and stroke deaths should be matched with equal progress on heart failure, where care gaps and racial and ethnic disparities are pronounced.
The Million Hearts campaign should widen its scope to include heart failure disparities among African Americans. End Heart Failure Disparities Now! recommends that Million Hearts:
In 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services launched the Million Hearts as a national public-private initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. The project focuses on heart disease prevention, educational campaigns, care improvement, and local health initiatives. To date, Million Hearts has emphasized the ABCS of heart disease and stroke prevention: Aspirin when appropriate, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation.
Next Steps
It’s time for the campaign to take the next step with an explicit focus on closing gaps in heart failure care, especially among African Americans. Strides in heart attack and stroke deaths should be matched with equal progress on heart failure, where care gaps and racial and ethnic disparities are pronounced.
The Million Hearts campaign should widen its scope to include heart failure disparities among African Americans. End Heart Failure Disparities Now! recommends that Million Hearts:
- Set national targets for narrowing heart failure disparities;
- Develop and promote evidence-based tools for providers on appropriate heart failure medication use, including in African Americans; and
- Sponsor a health equity-focused demonstration for providers on evidence-based heart failure care.
