CDC National Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program

Arizona
Capacity Building

In 2007, the Arizona Department of Health Services received CDC funds to support a state heart disease and stroke prevention program. In 2009, the Arizona Department of Health Services received CDC funds to support an optional hypertension initiative.

Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke

• Nearly 1 out of 4 deaths in Arizona are due to heart disease. (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)
• 10,067 Arizonans died from heart disease in 2006 (22.9% of total deaths in Arizona). (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)
• 2,226 Arizonans died from stroke in 2006 (4.8% of total deaths in Arizona). (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)

See the Arizona Department of Health Services report, The Burden of Cardiovascular Disease in Arizona [PDF–4.3M], for more burden statistics.

• According to 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey results, adults in Arizona reported the following risk factors for heart disease and stroke:
  
  • 24.8% had high blood pressure
  • 38.3% of those screened reported having high blood cholesterol
  • 8.4% had diabetes
  • 19.8% were current smokers
  • 62.6% were overweight or obese (Body Mass Index greater than or equal to 25.0)
  • 47.6% reported no exercise in the prior 30 days
  • 71.7% ate fruit and vegetables less than 5 times a day

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate collaboration among public and private sector partners, such as managed care organizations, health insurers, federally funded health centers, businesses, priority population organizations, and emergency response agencies.
  
• Define the burden of heart disease and stroke and assess existing population-based strategies for primary and secondary prevention of heart disease and stroke within the state.
  
• Develop and update a comprehensive state plan for heart disease and stroke prevention with emphasis on heart-healthy policies development, physical and social environments change, and disparities elimination (e.g., based on geography, gender, race or ethnicity, or socioeconomic status).
  
• Identify culturally appropriate approaches to promote cardiovascular health among racial, ethnic, and other priority populations.
  
• Use population-based public health strategies to increase public awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart diseases and stroke, the urgency of early treatment for heart disease and stroke, and the need to call 9-1-1.

State Highlights

• The Arizona Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (HDSP) program is collaborating with organizations to increase the usage of community health workers and the Community Health Worker’s Sourcebook to educate patients about hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke. This program will use promotores, community health workers, and primary care providers to develop systems of referral and feedback about patients participating in this initiative.
• The Arizona HDSP program collaborates with the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, the Yuma Regional Medical Center, and the Kingman Regional Medical Center to implement a stroke telemedicine program. This program provides advanced stroke care to rural areas of the state.
• The Arizona HDSP program is partnering with the American Heart Association to expand the use of the Get With The Guidelines stroke module in rural areas of the state.

For more information on heart disease and stroke prevention in the state, visit the Arizona Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program.

To view county-level data, visit our interactive map site.