Science
CDC's Dr. John Iskander and Dr. Janet Wright discuss the progress that has been made with Million Hearts®, along with the work that is still needed to reach the goal of preventing one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Providers should: Utilize electronic health records to proactively reach individuals with elevated blood pressure or cholesterol Place emphasis on detecting cases of uncontrolled high blood pressure which are hiding in plain sight Communities can: Implement smoke-free policies to lower exposure to smoke Adopt food procurement policies that make healthier foods more readily available Encourage and train individuals to self-monitor their blood pressure