History
About the Task Force
The Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force and the North Carolina Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention (HDSP) Program have set out to attack the second and fourth leading causes of death in our state – heart disease and stroke.
Today, in North Carolina:
- One in every three North Carolinians has some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Approximately 32 percent of all deaths in North Carolina annually are caused by CVD – one death every 22 minutes.
These staggering statistics earned North Carolina the ranking of the 17th highest CVD death rate in the country in 2004. Yet these diseases are largely preventable.
In its mission to prevent heart attack and stroke in North Carolina, the Task Force and HDSP Program have identified and focused on the following key issues to be addressed with multiple partners across the state:
Data
Need for more complete and accurate data for surveillance and evaluation of the N. C. HDSP efforts.
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Physical Activity
Safe opportunities for North Carolinians to increase their Physical Activity:
- Walkable and/or bikeable communities.
- Universal access to recreational facilities and parks.
- Organizational policies and environments to encourage physical activity during the work day.
- K-12 daily Physical Education taught by certified PE specialists.
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Nutrition
Increased opportunities for healthy eating in N.C. communities:
- Restaurants, cafeterias, and vending machines clearly identify healthy options.
- Point of purchase displays to encourage healthy grocery selections.
- Organizational policies to provide heart healthy options at events.
- Standards for all foods served in schools.
- 1 percent or less fat milk routinely provided.
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Tobacco
Reduced exposure to tobacco, especially for teens, pregnant women, and smokers attempting to quit:
- Reduce teen access to tobacco products.
- Clean indoor air policies in work sites and public spaces.
- Access to smoking cessation programs for smokers wishing to quit.
- Raise awareness among those with, or at risk for CVD of the dangers of second-hand smoke.
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Hypertension
Increased awareness and control of hypertension, especially among at-risk
populations:
- Professional education to bring measurement and control of hypertension into compliance with the latest national guidelines.
- Access to medications when needed to control hypertension.
- Raise awareness of the importance of knowing your numbers and taking action to control them, including healthier behaviors.
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Cholesterol
Increased awareness and control of cholesterol, especially among at-risk
populations:
- Professional education to bring measurement and control of cholesterol into compliance with the latest national guidelines.
- Access to medications when needed to control cholesterol.
- Raise awareness of the importance of knowing your numbers and taking action to control them, including healthier behaviors.
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Diabetes
HDSP has worked with The North Carolina Diabetes Prevention and Control Branch (DPC) to improve the quality of care for diabetics in the primary care setting through the chronic care model and to raise awareness among diabetics of their increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
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Obesity
HDSP works with multiple partners to slow the alarming epidemic of obesity in North Carolina through efforts to increase physical activity and improve nutrition. For more information, please visit Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina and the Healthy Weight Initiative.
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Stroke
Increased awareness of the warning signs of heart attack and stroke, and the need to treat them as emergencies and call 911:
- Improvement of the systems involved with the acute care of stroke, including emergency transport, acute treatment as appropriate, and prevention of recurring events.
- Increased attention to and funding for research needed to identify the cause(s) of the extraordinarily high stroke death rates in the easternmost counties of N.C. – the "Buckle" of the Stroke Belt.
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Peripheral Arterial Disease
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is an early marker for CVD that can be easily diagnosed in the doctor’s office. Keys to early detection are patient and physician awareness, recognition of early symptoms such as pain and numbness in the legs and feet, and non-invasive diagnosis.
With early detection, initiation of preventive measures and medical therapy, further progression of atherosclerosis can be slowed and many devastating complications of CVD prevented.
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Women and Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease and stroke are devastating to women, causing nearly twice as many deaths as cancer each year. But CVD is not recognized as a major health threat for women, nor are most people aware that it is largely preventable.
Almost all of the early research was done on men, but recent findings confirm that women may experience different symptoms, are frequently under diagnosed and under treated and are more likely to die of CVD than their male counterparts.
For more information on women and cardiovascular disease, please visit North Carolina Wise Woman Program.
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