The video and presentation slides including Beyond the Data from the September session of CDC’s Public Health Grand Rounds, “Preventing A Million Heart Attacks and Strokes: A Turning Point for Impact,” held on Tuesday, September 16 are now available at http://www.cdc.gov/cdcgrandrounds/archives/2014/september2014.htm.

Heart attacks and strokes contribute to the almost 800,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease each year. The trauma to families and communities is devastating; the cost to the US economy is nearly $1 billion each day in medical costs and lost productivity. To achieve sustainable prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services launched Million Hearts®, a national initiative to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Million Hearts® focuses the efforts of federal agencies, states, regions, communities and individuals on this common goal, ensuring the coordination of public health, clinical care and policy approaches to this complex problem.

Million Hearts® focuses on increasing the number of communities who go smoke-free, decreasing sodium in the food supply, and eliminating trans-fat. In addition to changes to our environment, Million Hearts® calls for changes in the health care system that will produce better performance in the ABCS (Aspirin when appropriate, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, Smoking cessation).

This session of Grand Rounds discussed the progress that has been made, along with the work that is still needed to reach the goal of preventing one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Specifically, we’ll hear how public health and clinical care experts are coming together in communities to improve blood pressure control, how comprehensive tobacco policy efforts can have statewide impact, and how efforts to promote healthy nutrition can occur through increasing the availability of lower sodium products.

As Million Hearts® approaches its half-way mark, we need to accelerate that progress. There is a role for local and state governments, individuals, local and national organizations, providers, health care systems and insurers. Together, we can send a clear signal that cardiovascular events can be prevented when each of us takes a few, specific, impactful actions. Please tune into this grand rounds to learn what you can do to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.