CDC National Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program

Iowa
Capacity Building

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH)began receiving funds from CDC in 2008 to support a state Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (HDSP) program.

Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke

• More than 1 out of 4 deaths in Iowa are due to heart disease. (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)
• 7,172 Iowans died from heart disease in 2006 (26.2% of total deaths in Iowa). (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)
• 1,718 Iowans died from stroke in 2006 (6.3% of total deaths in Iowa). (National Vital Statistics Report, 2009.)

See the Iowa Department of Public Health’s Heart Disease and Stroke in Iowa Burden Report 2009 [PDF–436K] for more burden statistics.

• According to 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey results, adults in Iowa reported the following risk factors for heart disease and stroke:
  
  • 26.8% had high blood pressure
  • 37.8% of those screened reported having high blood cholesterol
  • 6.8% had diabetes
  • 19.8% were current smokers
  • 64.7% were overweight or obese (Body Mass Index greater than or equal to 25.0)
  • 51.6% reported no exercise in the prior 30 days
  • 80.1% ate fruit and vegetables less than 5 times a day

State Highlights

• The Iowa Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (IHDSP) program received funding in 2009 and 2010 to incorporate cardiovascular health into statewide dental practices and the dental curriculum. The project develops, pilots, and disseminates curriculum for dentists and dental hygienists on screening dental patients for smoking and high blood pressure.
• A pilot project in five southeastern Iowa dental practices is underway to test the feasibility of screening and referral for high blood pressure and smoking cessation readiness. System changes include
• modification of existing dental school curricula
• updating of patient medical history forms to include blood pressure and smoking screening
• clinic flow and process redesign
• health record changes

Preliminary data from the pilot showed that of 1,630 patients screened

• 54% had high blood pressure (38.1% pre-hypertension, 16.4% hypertension).
• Only 32% of these had ever been told they had high blood pressure.
• 11%, or 177, were current smokers, but only 66 were interested in quitting.

As a result of this project, system changes  were instituted for clinic procedures and the University of Iowa Dental School clinics’ electronic medical record to make recording blood pressure, tobacco use, and referral documentation more uniform and organized. This project is a collaborative effort amongst the IHDSP program, the Tobacco Control program, the Bureau of Oral Health at Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the University of Iowa College of Dentistry.

• The IHDSP program and the WISEWOMAN program have developed a project to promote cardiovascular patient education by educating health care providers regarding sodium reduction and cholesterol control. Three approved, online continuing education courses on patient education, sodium reduction, and cholesterol management have been developed through a contract with the University of Iowa. Other resources for providers include hard-copy and electronic sodium reduction tool kits and a monthly e-bulletin.
• Since 2006, the IHDSP program has led an IDPH cardiovascular team that meets bimonthly to advance cardiovascular health education, environmental changes, and policy changes that support cardiovascular health throughout IDPH. The team has resulted in collaborations between the IHDSP program and
  •  the Iowans Fit for Life project on Food Systems Councils and work site wellness
  • the Healthy Communities program on vending machine audits, à la carte foods in schools, and the Healthy Kids Act
  • the Iowa Nutrition Network sodium reduction collaboration.
• The IHDSP program is developing a web-based statewide stroke registry in partnership with the University of Iowa. The IDHSP program, the American Heart Association, and other partners are developing a report for the legislature on the costs, benefits, and implementation of the stroke triage and registry plan.
• The IHDSP program, together with the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative, developed a statewide partnership that includes more than 30 members. Members represent government agencies, non-governmental organizations, health care providers, medical facilities and hospitals, universities, and businesses. The partnership completed the Iowa Comprehensive Heart Disease and Stroke Plan 2010-2014. Lead agencies have been assigned to key objectives and the partnership monitors their progress biannually.

For more information visit the Iowa Department of Public Health’s cardiovascular program.

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