Progress Toward Improved Cardiovascular Health in the United States

Abstract

The Healthy People Initiative has served as the leading disease prevention and health promotion roadmap for the nation since its inception in 1979. Healthy People 2020 (HP2020), the initiative’s current iteration, sets a national prevention agenda with health goals and objectives by identifying nationwide health improvement priorities and providing measurable objectives and targets from 2010 to 2020. Central to the overall mission and vision of Healthy People is an emphasis on achieving health equity, eliminating health disparities, and improving health for all population groups. The Heart Disease and Stroke (HDS) Work Group of the HP2020 Initiative aims to leverage advances in biomedical science and prevention research to improve cardiovascular health across the nation. The initiative provides a platform to foster partnerships and empower professional societies and nongovernmental organizations, governments at the local, state, and national levels, and healthcare professionals to strengthen policies and improve practices related to cardiovascular health. Disparities in cardiovascular disease burden are well recognized across, for example, race/ethnicity, sex, age, and geographic region, and improvements in cardiovascular health for the entire population are only possible if such disparities are addressed through efforts that target individuals, communities, and clinical and public health systems. This article summarizes criteria for creating and tracking the 50 HDS HP2020 objectives in 3 areas (prevention, morbidity/mortality, and systems of care), reports on progress toward the 2020 targets for these objectives based on the most recent data available, and showcases examples of relevant programs led by participating agencies. Although most of the measurable objectives have reached the 2020 targets ahead of time (n=14) or are on track to meet the targets (n=7), others may not achieve the decade’s targets if the current trends continue, with 3 objectives moving away from the targets. This summary illustrates the utility of HP2020 in tracking measures of cardiovascular health that are of interest to federal agencies and policymakers, professional societies, and other nongovernmental organizations. With planning for Healthy People 2030 well underway, stakeholders such as healthcare professionals can embrace collaborative opportunities to leverage existing progress and emphasize areas for improvement to maximize the Healthy People initiative’s positive impact on population-level health.

Trends in Workplace Wearable Technologies and Connected‐Worker Solutions for Next‐Generation Occupational Safety, Health, and Productivity

“…[178,179] Symptoms of cardiovascular disease include shortness of breath, pain or discomfort in the chest or limbs, rapid or irregular heartbeat, a lack of balance or coordination, fatigue, confusion, numbness, and fainting. [180] In addition to blood tests and chest X-rays, heart health is measured by blood pressure monitoring, electrocardiography (ECG or EKG), echocardiography, the exercise stress test, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. [181,182] Continuous EKG recordings for detecting an irregular heart rate or rhythm over long time periods (i.e., from 24 to 72 h) is provided by the classic Holter monitor.…”

Analysis of the state and problems for implementing government programs on drug availability based on questioning of medical professionals

“…У дослідженні K. Pahigiannis за допомогою опитування був виявлений основний прогресивний підхід щодо покращання забезпечення пацієнтів із серцево-судинними захворюваннями (ССЗ) у США. Виявлено, що програма уряду «Здоров'я -2020» підвищує рівень надання допомоги всім верствам населення [13]. Опитування, що було проведено на семінарі «Стратегії фінансування та оплати для підтримки високоякісної допомоги людям з важкими захворюваннями», показало, що взаємодія органів державної влади з медичними фахівцями є запорукою ефективного розвитку галузі охорони здоров'я [14].…”

Effect of Lifestyle Changes after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Revascularization

“…e concept of ideal CVH metrics was originally defined and intended to use for primordial prevention among general population [1,9]. Although the inverse relationship between ideal CVH and CVD incidence was also well documented for primary prevention [10][11][12][13][14][15], the evidence in secondary prevention is limited [16,17].…”