Million Hearts* 

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has been providing public health services to the citizens of Arkansas since 1913. The ADH has a mission to protect and improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans.  Heart attack and stroke are the number one and number three causes of death in Arkansas.  According to the 2007 Arkansas Cardiovascular Health Examination Survey (ARCHES) 48.3% of Arkansans have high blood pressure. By including the improvement of hypertension prevention, control and treatment as part of the ADH strategic plan for 2012-2014 and becoming a partner in the Million Hearts ™  initiative, the ADH should achieve optimal health outcomes among Arkansans.

The Arkansas Department of Health is supporting Million Hearts ™ by:
  • Introducing Million HeartsTM to internal and external partners
  • Providing information, presentations and links to Million HeartsTM on our public website
  • Partnering with the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care to support medical practices focusing on and monitoring the ABCS (Aspirin therapy, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation) in their effort to improve patient outcomes 
  • Educating Arkansas Chronic Illness Collaborative practice teams on using the ABCS to improve their system of care and patient outcomes  
  • Partnering with the Arkansas Chronic Disease Coordinating Council to adopt the Million Hearts ™ initiative’s objective to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over five years and demonstrate to Arkansans that improving the health system can save lives
With the help of our partners, the ADH hopes to decrease the number of heart attacks and strokes among Arkansans and improve the overall health outcomes of our citizens. Arkansas currently leads the nation in pledges to save a Million Hearts ™. Keep Arkansas in the lead. Pledge today! at http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/index.html
  • Blood pressure control is critical to preventing heart attacks and strokes. The Million Hearts™ Blood Pressure Toolkit was designed to be used with patients to help address high blood pressure in your clinics and communities.

Tracking down the salt in food

 
Tracking down the salt in food with Professor Saul T. Too much sodium increases your risk for high blood pressure, and high blood pressure is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke. By taking the right steps to reduce your sodium intake, your blood pressure can begin decreasing within weeks. About 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet. Six in 10 adults should aim for 1,500 milligrams a day; others for 2,300 milligrams. Sodium adds up, and sodium levels in the same food can vary widely. Fat free chips can have 180 milligrams per ounce; white bread, up to 230 milligrams per slice; ready-to-eat cereal, 250 milligrams per cup; chicken breast with added solution, up to 330 milligrams per 4 ounces. Foods that you eat several times a day can add up to a lot of sodium, even if each serving is not high in sodium. Read Nutrition labels to find the lowest sodium options. A bowl of regular chicken noodle soup can have 840 milligrams of sodium, but lower sodium chicken noodle soup can have 360 milligrams of sodium. Most of the sodium we eat comes from foods prepared in restaurants and processed foods (not from the salt shaker). Tips you can use to reduce sodium: Choose fresh, frozen (no sauce), or no salt added canned vegetables; Know terms that commonly indicate higher sodium content, like pickled, cured, brined, and broth; Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan at http://go.usa.gov/p3C. For more tips on reducing sodium in your diet, visit http://go.usa.gov/YJxF. This infographic is brought to you by Million Hearts. millionhearts.hhs.gov 

*“The Million Hearts ™ word and logo marks, and the Be One in a Million Hearts™ slogan and logo marks and associated trade dress are owned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Use of these marks does not imply endorsement by HHS. Use of the Marks also does not necessarily imply that the materials have been reviewed or approved by HHS.”