CDC National Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program

Illinois
Capacity Building

In 2000, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) began receiving capacity building funds from CDC to support heart disease and stroke prevention initiatives across the state. Additionally, IDPH receives CDC funding to lead the Great Lakes Regional Stroke Network.

Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke

• More than 1 out of 4 deaths in Illinois are due to heart disease. (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)
• 27,007 Illinoisans died from heart disease in 2006 (26.4% of total deaths in Illinois). (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)
• 5,989 Illinoisans died from stroke in 2006 (5.9% of total deaths in Illinois). (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)

See the Great Lakes Regional Stroke Network report, The Burden of Stroke in the Great Lakes Region 2008, [PDF–746K] for more burden statistics.

• According to 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey results, adults in Illinois reported the following risk factors for heart disease and stroke:
  
  • 28.0% had high blood pressure
  • 36.3% of those screened reported having high blood cholesterol
  • 8.8% had diabetes
  • 20.1% were current smokers
  • 63.0% were overweight or obese (Body Mass Index greater than or equal to 25.0)
  • 51.3% reported no exercise in the prior 30 days
  • 75.4% 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 heart disease and stroke prevention 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

• In collaboration with the American Stroke Association (ASA) and the Macon County Health Department, a stroke awareness program was conducted in Macon County.  The media campaign ran from May 2010 through November 2010. Along with the Department of Health Cardiovascular Health Program and Northern Illinois University’s Public Opinion Center, the ASA and the Macon County Health Department implemented preliminary randomized surveys in March and April of 2010. The conclusion and final report for this campaign was finalized January 2011.
• The Illinois Cardiovascular Health Program, WISEWOMAN program, and the American Heart Association sponsored and facilitated educational trainings on taking high blood pressure measurements and following national guidelines for high blood pressure control. The target audience for these trainings was local health department staff, correctional staff, local hospital staff, parish nurses, emergency medical technicians, and other health care providers. These educational trainings were held in areas of Illinois where a high percentage of adults say they have high blood pressure according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Since April 2008, seven trainings with a total of 200 participants have been conducted; six additional trainings are planned.
• On August 18, 2009, Governor Pat Quinn signed Public Act 96-514, which affects stroke patient care in Illinois. This Act gives the Illinois Department of Public Health the authority to designate primary stroke centers, as well as lower-tier emergent stroke ready hospitals. There are 54 primary stroke centers in Illinois awaiting official designation. The law also provides for a system through which designated EMS regions will institute regionally-specific triage and transportation protocols for responding to possible stroke calls.

For more information, visit the Illinois Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program.

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