CDC State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program

	On this Page List of States Stroke Networks Information Related Information Links

In 1998, the U.S. Congress provided funding for CDC to initiate a national, state-based heart disease and stroke prevention program with funding for eight states. Currently, 32 states and the District of Columbia are funded, 21 as capacity building programs and 12 as basic implementation programs (see highlighted map below).

Capacity building states are funded to:

• Facilitate collaboration among public and private sector partners.

• Define the cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden and assess existing population-based strategies for primary and secondary heart disease and stroke prevention.

• Develop and update a comprehensive state plan for heart disease and stroke prevention with developing heart-healthy policies, changing physical and social environments, and eliminating disparities (e.g., based on geography, gender, race or ethnicity, or income).

• Identify culturally appropriate approaches to promote cardiovascular health (CVH) with racial, ethnic, and other priority populations.

• Increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke.

Basic implementation states are funded to:

• Enhance all capacity–building program activities.

• Implement and evaluate policy, environmental, and educational interventions in health care sites, work sites, schools, and communities.

• Provide training and technical assistance to public health and health care professionals and partners to support primary and secondary heart disease and stroke prevention.

The goals of the CDC State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program are:

• To increase state capacity by planning, implementing, tracking, and sustaining population-based interventions that address heart disease, stroke, and related risk factors (e.g., high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition). Population-based strategies focus on an identified population (e.g., women aged 35–65) or area (e.g., residents of state) rather than individual behavior change. Strategies should include policy, environmental, and systems changes to support cardiovascular health and education to increase awareness of the need for such changes.

• To conduct surveillance of CVD and related risk factors and assess policy and environmental support for heart disease and stroke prevention within states.

• To identify promising strategies for promoting heart-healthy interventions in states.

• To promote cardiovascular health in a variety of settings (health care, work site, school, and community settings) through education, policy, systems, and environmental changes.

  Examples:

Education:

• Sponsor public awareness campaigns to raise awareness about signs and symptoms of heart disease and stroke and the importance of calling 9-1-1 when such symptoms appear.

• Implement informational campaigns to educate the public that high blood pressure is a major modifiable risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and that having blood pressure checked is an important first step in identifying and controlling high blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

• Promote professional education and training programs on systems that support quality health care.

• Strengthen prevention efforts through increased awareness and education about risk factor and lifestyle changes that affect high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking.

Policy:

• Promote development of policies to increase adherence to national guidelines for the prevention and control of high blood pressure.

• Support state-based policy development for universal 9-1-1 coverage.

• Promote enhanced policies for treating stroke as an acute emergency.

• Strengthen policies in a variety of settings that encourage healthy lifestyles.

Environmental/systems:

• Collaborate on developing systems and intervention programs to detect and control high blood pressure among high-risk groups.

• Promote health care system supports to increase adherence to guidelines for the primary and secondary heart disease and stroke prevention.

• Promote environmental supports that promote cardiovascular health in a variety of settings.

States Funded by CDC for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Programs, 2004

[A text version of this graphic is also available.]

Stroke Networks

The purpose of the Stroke Networks is to increase stroke awareness and enhance the role of public health to address stroke prevention and quality of care. Networks include public health and medical professionals, policy makers, and community health advocates. Networks increase health collaboration across State boundaries and leverage efforts within the region to encourage stroke–related partnerships, education, training, policy, and environmental/systems–change strategies.

The three Stroke Networks receiving CDC funding are as follows:

1. Tri–State Stroke Network: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia since 2000.
2. Delta States Stroke Consortium: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee since 2002.
3. Great Lakes Stroke Network: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin since 2004.

Related Information

Taking Action for Heart–healthy and Stroke–free States, a communication guide for policy and environmental change.

CDC State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Evaluation Framework

Promising Practices in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control
A Public Health Framework For Action, 2003 Department of Health and Human Services

State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Addresses Heart Attack Prevention

State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Addresses High Blood Pressure

State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Addresses Stroke

State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Addresses Cardiac Rehabilitation

State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program in Health Care Settings to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke

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This page last reviewed August 05, 2004

Department of Health Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Division of Adult and Community Health