Leading voices in health provide their perspectives on new research, guidelines, metrics, and data sets.
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Commentary Listing
Chronic High Stress Linked to High Blood Pressure in African AmericansOctober 16, 2019Author: Chris Calitz, M.P.P., Director, Center for Workplace Health
Preview: Chronic high stress over time is linked to high blood pressure in African Americans, according to an analysis published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. […]
Bottoms Up: New Consensus Recommendations Highlight Best Beverages For Young Children’s HealthSeptember 17, 2019Authors: Stephen R. Daniels, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine; Pediatrician-in-Chief, Children’s Hospital Colorado; Emily A. Callahan, M.P.H., R.D.N., Owner, EAC Health and Nutrition, LLC
Preview: When it comes to beverages for children from birth through age 5, keep it plain and simple – breast milk or infant formula, water, and plain milk are best. […]
New Data Helps Measure, Map Poverty’s Connection With Heart Failure DeathsSeptember 4, 2019Authors: Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA; Chief Science and Medical Officer, American Heart Association; Kim Stitzel, M.S., R.D.; Senior Vice President, Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation, American Heart Association
Preview: Poverty level is a county’s strongest socioeconomic factor associated with dying from heart failure and coronary heart disease, according to new research in the Journal of the American Heart Association. […]
Increased Heart Disease Risk Among Childhood Cancer Survivors Highlights Need To Focus On Healthy LifestylesAugust 26, 2019Author: Sarah de Ferranti, M.D., M.P.H., Chief, Division of Cardiology Outpatient Services and Director, Preventive Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Preview: Childhood cancer survivors face an increased risk of heart disease compared to people without cancer, according to a study published today in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. […]
People Treated in Low-Income Areas Fare Worse in Blood Pressure Control, Some Heart OutcomesJuly 31, 2019Author: Kim Stitzel, MS, RD, Senior Vice President, Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Preview: People who received blood pressure treatment in low-income areas were half as likely to control their blood pressure as people treated in higher-income areas, according to a new analysis of research trial data. […]
Rejected Or Abandoned Cholesterol Drug Prescriptions Tied To More Heart EventsJuly 17, 2019Author: Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FACC, FAHA, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research and Chair of the Department of Medicine, Northwestern University
Preview: People whose cholesterol-lowering drug prescriptions are rejected or abandoned are more likely to have heart events than those whose prescriptions are covered. That’s the finding of a study published today in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. […]
Study Reveals Need to Close Racial Disparity Gap in Bystander CPR For ChildrenJune 27, 2019Author: Raina M. Merchant, M.D., M.S.H.P., FAHA; Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Preview: White children in prosperous neighborhoods are more likely to get bystander CPR than black children in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods, according to data published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. […]
Unexpected Finding: Army Personnel Less Likely Than Civilians to Have Ideal Heart HealthJune 5, 2019Authors: Alice Shrestha, University of Pennsylvania; Tiffany E. Ho, University of Pennsylvania; Loryana Vie, University of Pennsylvania; Darwin R. Labarthe, Northwestern University; Lawrence M. Scheier, University of Pennsylvania; Paul B. Lester, Army Research Facilitation Laboratory; and Martin E.P. Seligman, University of Pennsylvania
Preview: Army personnel are less likely than civilians to have ideal heart health — even when excluding the least healthy members, according to a first-of-its kind study. […]
Tracking Efforts to Move More and Sit Less: All Hands on DeckMay 21, 2019Author: Laurie Whitsel, PhD, Vice President of Policy Research and Translation, American Heart Association
Preview: Given the compelling data on physical activity’s impressive contributions to health, it’s even more critical that public health efforts support our population in moving more and sitting less. […]- Workplace Health Needs More Rigorous Evaluation of Comprehensive ProgramsApril 30, 2019Authors: Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., Chief, Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation; Chris Calitz, M.P.P, Director, Center for Workplace Health
Preview: A worksite wellness study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on April 16, 2019, and a corresponding New York Times article headlined “Employee Wellness Programs Yield Little Benefit, Study Shows” appeared to question the effectiveness of workplace health promotion programs.. […] 
New Data: Intensive Blood Pressure Control In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Can Save LivesApril 29, 2019Author: Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer for Prevention and Chief of the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation, American Heart Association
Preview: Intensive blood pressure treatment is good for adults with type 2 diabetes, regardless of their baseline blood pressure or cardiovascular risk. That’s the promising finding of a new study published today in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. […]
Generating Evidence to Support Health Promotion Policies: Added Sugar LabelingApril 15, 2019Authors: Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., FAHA, Dean and Jean Mayer Professor, Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; Professor of Medicine, Tufts Medical School; Renata Micha, R.D., Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Preview: The mandatory labeling of added sugar content on packaged foods and beverages in the United States could generate substantial health gains and cost savings, based on a study that we published today in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. […]
Unraveling Differences in CVD Outcomes Among Asian-American Subgroups Reveal DisparitiesMarch 20, 2019Author: Yosef M. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Director, Health Informatics and Analytics, Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Preview: The burden of cardiovascular disease among Asian-Americans varies by subgroup and contributes to greater premature death, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. […]
What You Need to Know About the New Prevention GuidelinesMarch 17, 2019Author: Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, The Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D., R.D.N., L.D.N., FAHA, FNLA, FASN, CLS
Preview: The most important way to prevent cardiovascular disease is through a healthy lifestyle throughout life. That’s a key message of new guidelines on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, released today by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. […]- U.S. Must Combat Sudden Cardiac Arrest, As Study Shows Impact On Healthy Years LostMarch 12, 2019Author: Kim Stitzel, M.S., R.D., Senior Vice President, Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Preview: It’s time for the United States to amp up public health policies and resources to address sudden cardiac arrest, based on results of a new study. […] - Latest Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Reveal Challenges and OpportunitiesJanuary 31, 2019Author: Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA; Chief Science and Medical Officer, American Heart Association
Preview: The AHA releases their annual “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – Update 2019” that provides the most current and robust epidemiological data on a wide range of cardiovascular disease-related topics, including heart disease and stroke. […] - Intersections Between Income Fluctuation, Heart Health, and DeathJanuary 7, 2019Author: Kim Stitzel, M.S., R.D., Senior Vice President, Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Preview: Now we can drill down to understand how life expectancy varies neighborhood by neighborhood, thanks to an effort that calculates life expectancy at birth for nearly every U.S. census tract. […] 
US Life Expectancy Drops for Third Year in a Row – What We Know and Don’t Know From the 2017 CDC Mortality ReportNovember 29, 2018Author: Christina M. Shay, PhD, FAHA, Director, Impact and Health Metrics, American Heart Association
Preview: The annual report “Mortality in the United States, 2017” released by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics provided several important high-level updates to mortality-related statistics observed in the US between 2016 and 2017. […]
Connecting Policy Change and Health Outcomes: Smoke-Free Laws and Blood PressureNovember 21, 2018Author: Robert A. Harrington, M.D., FAHA, President-elect, American Heart Association
Preview: A new study sheds some light on potential reasons why smoke-free policies in cities, states and counties are associated with benefits such as reduced rates of hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases. […]
New Cholesterol Guideline Recommends More Personalized Risk Assessment, Active Patient Involvement in Treatment DecisionsNovember 10, 2018Author: Scott M. Grundy, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA; Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center and VA Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Chair, 2018 Cholesterol Guideline writing committee
Preview: Shared decision-making to help health care providers and patients manage cholesterol across the lifespan is a focus of new guidelines that provide recommendations related to several patient conditions and scenarios. […]
Have Faith: Community-Based Interventions Can Reduce Blood Pressure in African-AmericansOctober 9, 2018Author: Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D., FAHA, FACC, President, American Heart Association, 2017-18; Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiovascular Center at Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin
Preview: A new study confirms that lay health educators are dependable partners in implementing community-based hypertension control programs. […]
Cardiovascular-Related Deaths Higher for U.S. Hispanics Who Live in Counties with Higher Hispanic PopulationsSeptember 19, 2018Author: Fatima Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H., FACC, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University
Preview: Video interview with Dr. Fatima Rodriguez, the lead author of a new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association about county-level Hispanic ethnic density and cardiovascular disease mortality. […]- Neighborhood Life Expectancy Estimates Are a Powerful New Tool to Help Improve Community HealthSeptember 10, 2018Author: Kim Stitzel, M.S., R.D., Senior Vice President, Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Preview: Now we can drill down to understand how life expectancy varies neighborhood by neighborhood, thanks to an effort that calculates life expectancy at birth for nearly every U.S. census tract. […] - For Rural U.S. Residents, More Is Often Less When It Comes to HealthJune 28, 2018Getting all Americans healthy — regardless of their race/ethnicity, income, education or geography — is a lofty goal. But our attention, our resources and, most importantly, our actions are needed now more than ever. Although obesity has historically hit upper socioeconomic classes obesity harder, […]
Four Principles to Help Control the High Cost of High Blood PressureMay 22, 2018Author: Joey Granger, Ph.D., FAHA; Billy S. Guyton Distinguished Professor, Professor of Physiology and Medicine and Director, Cardiovascular-Renal Research Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center; Chair, American Heart Association Council on Hypertension
Preview: Four Principles to Help Control the High Cost of High Blood Pressure […]- Ideal Heart Health Over Long Term Is the Best MedicineMay 15, 2018Author: Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer for Prevention and Chief of the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation, American Heart Association
Preview: A study examined long-term heart health in nearly 3,500 middle-age to older adults in the Framingham Offspring Study, part of a long-running project to monitor heart disease risk factors. [...] […] 
Want to Live Longer? Give Lifestyle a Chance!April 26, 2018Author:Jean-Pierre Després, Ph.D., FAHA, FIAS; Professor and Scientific Director, International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk; Director of Research, Cardiology, Québec Heart and Lung Institute, Université Laval (Québec, Canada); Chair, American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health
Preview: A new study shows just how much healthy lifestyle habits are critical not only to extend your life but also to lower your chances of dying from heart disease or cancer. [...] […]- New Data on State-Level Disparities in Heart Disease Raise Caution, But Can Be Used For GoodApril 12, 2018Author: Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer for Prevention and Chief of the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation, American Heart Association
Preview: New data on state-level disparities in heart disease raise caution, but can be used for good [...] […] 
New Evidence Quantifies Sexual Orientation Disparities in Heart-Health Risk FactorsMarch 20, 2018Author: Wayne Rosamond, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chair, American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2018 Scientific Sessions
Preview: Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults are less likely to have ideal cardiovascular health [...] […]
Improving Access to Stroke Treatment: Six Key Points the Wall Street Journal MissedFebruary 16, 2018Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., FAHA, FANA, Executive Vice Chairman, Neurology Department, and Director, Comprehensive Stroke Center and Center for TeleHealth, Massachusetts General Hospital; Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School A February 6 article in the Wall Street Journal, “A Breakthrough […]
Where Heart Disease and Breast Cancer Intersect: Promoting Positive Outcomes For BothFebruary 6, 2018Laxmi Mehta, M.D., FACC, FAHA, Section Director of Preventative Cardiology and Women’s Cardiovascular Health, Sarah Ross Soter Endowed Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Health and Associate Professor of Medicine, The Ohio State University; Chair, Writing Group, AHA Scientific Statement on […]- Prevention Is Worth ItFebruary 1, 2018Author: Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer for Prevention and Chief of the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation, American Heart Association
Preview: A better headline would have been “Preventive Care; Sometimes Good Things Cost Money.” […] 
In Light of New Guidelines, Here Are Three Things Everyone Should Know About StrokeJanuary 24, 2018Author: William J. Powers, M.D., FAHA, H. Houston Merritt Distinguished Professor and Department Chair, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chair, Writing Group, AHA/ASA 2018 Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke
Preview: Just a few years ago, stroke dropped from the nation’s No. 4 killer to No. 5, yet it still kills more than 130,000 people every year. […]- Adversity In Childhood and Adolescence Sets Stage for Cardiometabolic OutcomesDecember 18, 2017Author: Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer for Prevention and Chief of the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation, American Heart Association
Preview: Threats to a young person’s bodily integrity, family, or social structures are associated with negative cardiometabolic outcomes over the life course, according to a scientific statement published today in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. […] - Supporting the Complex Health Needs of Americans With Multiple Chronic ConditionsDecember 11, 2017Author: Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer for Prevention and Chief of the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation, American Heart Association
Preview: It is challenging enough to live with a chronic disease like hypertension, but having multiple chronic conditions is even more difficult. Yet this is a reality for the roughly 1 in 4 adults in the United States who have two or more concurrent chronic conditions. […] 
Equitable Access to Life-Saving Treatments is Threatened by the Cost of Drugs to PatientsNovember 14, 2017Elliott M. Antman, M.D., FAHA; Senior Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research, Harvard Medical School; Past President, American Heart Association As healthcare costs continue rising, escalating spending on pharmaceuticals warrants serious […]
New Hypertension Guideline Updates How We Measure and Treat High Blood PressureNovember 13, 2017Author: John Warner, M.D., MBA; President, American Heart Association, 2017-18
Preview: Many more people than previously believed are at risk for this far too common condition that increases the chance for heart disease and stroke, according to a new guideline for high blood pressure prevention, detection, evaluation and management released Monday by the American Heart Association. […]- Closing the Gap in African-American Cardiovascular Health Disparities Helps Open Up Health EquityOctober 23, 2017Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D., FAHA, FACC, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiovascular Center at Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin; President-Elect, American Heart Association, 2017-18 The latest statistics paint an unsettling picture. White Americans survive an average […]
- CDC Weighs In With New Obesity Data; What’s Next?October 13, 2017Eduardo Sanchez, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer for Prevention and Chief of the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation, American Heart Association Obesity in adults 20 and older and youth 12 to 19 is at an all-time high — nearly 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively, according to the Centers […]