Healthy Living For Priority Populations

In This Issue Tools You Can Use Million Hearts® in the Community The Science of Million Hearts® Why Million Hearts® 2022? Do This! Quick Fact

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Tools You Can Use Encourage healthy levels of physical activity through “Walk with a Doc,” a proud partner of Million Hearts® 2022. Nationwide, physician-led walking programs aim to improve activity levels and educate patients about other heart-healthy topics. Start your own walking program, or join one near you! Learn how Smart Growth America could help your community. Smart growth includes designing communities and streets that support physical activity. Find resources and learn how to take action where you live. Million Hearts® in the Community Three clinics partnered with a community organization to reduce hypertension in at-risk groups in south Los Angeles. Learn how this collaborative model sped up the implementation of evidence-based interventions in safety net settings.  The Guide to Community Preventive Services issues new guidance on strategies and interventions to improve physical activity levels. Recommendations include improving pedestrian or bicycle transportation systems with one or more land use and environmental design interventions (such as street connectivity or parks) to increase physical activity. What’s your role in the fight against stroke? HHS’s Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion outlines simple ways that health care professionals can help prevent and treat stroke as well as empower patients.  The Science of Million Hearts® Three in four adult cigarette smokers in the United States tries several quit methods. (CDC) Patients with myocardial infarction don’t adhere to high-intensity statins in the long term. (JAMA Cardiology) Long-term exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution contributes to millions of deaths from cardiovascular disease globally. (Lancet) The life expectancy gap between white and black Americans is narrowing, but challenges remain. (CDC) Why Million Hearts® 2022? A recent publication summarizing the first five years of Million Hearts® makes the case: “Although much has been accomplished, [cardiovascular disease (CVD)] remains the nation’s number one killer, and high rates of obesity and diabetes threaten to undo the progress of the past few decades. Particularly disturbing is the number of CVD events occurring now in people younger than 65. Communities and their health care systems have continuing work to do in keeping people healthy and free from heart attack and stroke.” Today’s newsletter includes new evidence of rising stroke rates in younger people, low use of medications and counseling that can help smokers quit, suboptimal statin use among those who can benefit most, and stubborn disparities that must be eliminated. These challenges and more are ours to tackle—and we can do so together. Million Hearts® is committed to preventing 1 million cardiovascular events by improving use of the ABCS, increasing participation in cardiac rehabilitation, and reducing tobacco use and sodium intake. Million Hearts® 2022 includes new efforts to increase physical activity and focuses more on highly affected populations. Reaching the targets set for these goals means at least 1 million fewer events—and a healthier population. —Janet Wright, MD, FACCExecutive Director, Million Hearts® Do This! Choose Your TargetReview the Million Hearts® 2022 framework and commit to at least one of the Million Hearts® 2022 goals. Challenge your friends, family, co-workers, and workplace to do the same. Quick Fact Since 1995, hospitalizations for ischemic stroke have doubled for men between 18 and 44 and risen for men and women younger than 55. The prevalence of stroke risk factors among these groups also increased during this period.