Million Hearts: Preventing Heart Attacks and Strokes

Announced on September 13, 2011, Million Hearts is a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next 5 years.

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are the co-leaders of Million Hearts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, working alongside other federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Food and Drug Administration. Key private-sector partners include the American Heart Association and YMCA among others.

Heart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. Million Hearts aims to improve heart disease and stroke prevention by focusing on five pillars of action:

1. Prioritize focus and attention around the ABCS (Aspirin for people at high risk, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, Smoking cessation)
2. Encourage the meaningful use of health information technology (HIT) to drive improvement
3. Deliver care innovations
4. Foster community innovations
5. Measure successes and shortfalls in clinical and community prevention

Million Hearts brings together existing efforts and new programs to improve health across communities and help Americans live longer, healthier, more productive lives. To learn more about the Million Hearts Initiative and to Be One in a Million Hearts visit millionhearts.hhs.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.