Million Hearts & American Malayalees

Million Hearts is a national initiative that was launched by the Department of Health and Human Services in September 2011 to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over five years, by 2017. The fact that high incidence of cardiovascular diseases among Malayalees in United States warrants the need of knowing and understanding this initiative and share this in the Malayalee community.

Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. One in three deaths reported in US each year is due to cardiovascular disease. Every year, approximately 2 million persons in the United States suffer from a heart attack or stroke and approximately 800,000 die from cardiovascular disease. For those persons who do survive a heart attack or stroke, many are faced with serious illness, disability, and decreased quality of life. The ongoing complications that result from cardiovascular disease greatly contribute to the economic burden on the healthcare system and to society as a whole.

In 2010, the cost in health-care expenditures and lost productivity in the United States from cardiovascular disease amounted to nearly $444 billion, and these costs are increasing every year. Understanding and modifying your behavior to control the primary risk factors can save money and life, of you and your family. The primary risk factors that are preventable at low cost are -

1. High blood pressure,

2.High cholesterol,

3.Smoking,

4. Type 2 diabetes,

5. Inactivity (Lack of exercise)

6.Obesity .

Studies have shown that if these risk factors are well-controlled through behavioral modification and/or treatment, the risk for death from heart attack and stroke could be reduced by more than half (Ford ES et al,NEJM2007; Frieden TR et al, NEJM2011) .

A key strategy of Million Hearts is to engage a broad set of stakeholders involved with public health and health care, including clinicians, pharmacists, insurers, health-care systems, retailers, consumer groups, and all others in the community. The two primary goals of Million Hearts are

1) to reduce the need for treatment by empowering persons in the United States to make healthy choices (e.g., avoid tobacco, reduce sodium intake, and reduce artificial trans fat intake) and

2) to improve care for persons who need it through focus on the "ABCS".

A- Appropriate Aspirin Therapy

B- Blood pressure Control

C- Cholesterol Control

S- Smoking Cessation

What can an American Malayalee do as an individual?

1.PREVENT heart disease and stroke in your family by UNDERSTANDING the risks.

2.GET UP and GET ACTIVE by exercising for 30 minutes on most days of the week.

3.KNOW your ABCS:

Ø Appropriate Aspirin Therapy

Ø Blood Pressure Control

Ø Cholesterol Management

Ø Smoking Cessation

4.STAY STRONG by eating a heart-healthy diet that is high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in sodium, saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol.

5.TAKE CONTROL of your heart health by following your health care professional's instructions for medications treatment.

What can FOKANA, FOMAA, Malayalee churches and other A-Z American Malayalee organizations do to protect Malayalees' health?

Million Hearts speakers are happy to provide information about the initiative to your group or organization.

To request a Million Hearts™ speaker, please submit a request through the CDC Speaker's Bureau.

You can also download and print the materials to disseminate the message and educate your community or organization by visiting the site Million Hearts™

Let us work together with commitment and dedication to create environments that facilitate healthy choices to improve our health and leave a legacy for our children to follow.

Jojy Cheriyan MD

12-20-2012

(Sources MMWR reports, New England Journal of Medicine, Million Hearts web data)

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