Together, heart disease and stroke, along with other cardiovascular disease, are among the most widespread and costly health problems facing the nation today. They result in serious illness and disability, decreased quality of life, and hundreds of billions of dollars in economic loss every year. They are also among the most preventable health problems.¹ Hypertension is an established risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Lifestyle choices including eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly can help prevent hypertension.

2018-2023

Projects

• The role of the New Jersey New Jersey Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program (HDSPP) is to implement population-based strategies (including, but not limited to policy, systems, and environmental interventions) to prevent, detect, and control high blood pressure, through community and clinical partnerships, program development, and surveillance activities, to reduce heart disease and stroke.

Legislation

• P.L.2019, c. 476 provides for designation of acute stroke ready hospitals, establishes Stroke Care Advisory Panel and Statewide stroke database, and requires development of emergency medical services stroke care protocols.
• P.L.2021, c.18 requires NJDOH to license certain qualifying hospitals to provide full-service adult diagnostic cardiac catheterization, primary angioplasty, and elective angioplasty services.

Outreach

• Outreach is done through HDSPP grantees listed below.

Grants given by NJDOH

• To promote the adoption and use of electronic health records and health information technology to improve provider and patient health outcomes related to identification of individuals with undiagnosed hypertension and management of adults with hypertension: Zufall Health Center
• To promote the adoption of evidence-based quality measurement at the provider level for both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (e.g., use dashboard measures to monitor health care disparities and implement activities to eliminate health care disparities): Zufall Health Center
• To support engagement of non-physician team members (e.g., nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nutritionists, physical therapists, social workers) in hypertension and cholesterol management in clinical settings: Zufall Health Center and Ocean County Health Initiatives
• To promote the adoption of Medication Therapy Management (MTM) between pharmacists and physicians for the purpose of managing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and lifestyle modifications: New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, Pharmacy Institute of New Jersey, and Ocean County Health Initiatives.
• To increase self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) for patients with hypertension: New Jersey State YMCA Alliance, Gateway YMCA, YMCA of Montclair, CentraState, and Ocean County Health Initiatives.
• To implement cardiovascular disease risk reduction programs through CDC’s Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program: Zufall Health Center, Virtua Health System, Cooper University Hospital, Trenton Health Team, Visiting Nurse Association of Central New Jersey.

Grants received by NJDOH

• CDC Cooperative Agreement DP18-1815: Improving the Health of Americans Through Prevention and Management of Diabetes, Heart Disease. and Stroke (2018-2023)
• CDC Cooperative Agreement DP23-0003: WISEWOMAN: Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (2020-2028)
• CDC Cooperative Agreement DP23-0004: The National Cardiovascular Health Program (2023-2028)
• CDC Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant 

Assets/resources

• The New Jersey YMCA State Alliance’s Healthy Heart Program helps participants take control of their blood pressure with support from a trained Healthy Heart Coach.  

Challenges

• Modifiable risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as avoiding smoking, eating healthy, being physical active, and reducing sodium and stress, remain a challenge.
• It is estimated that among adults, prevalence of hypertension will increase from 51.2% in 2020 to 61.0% in 2050.²
• Social determinants of health (SDOH) have a significant impact on cardiovascular disease risk and outcomes.  

Disparities/inequities

• The age-adjusted coronary heart disease death rate in New Jersey is highest among Black persons, followed in order by White, Hispanic, and Asian persons.
• The age-adjusted stroke death rate among Black persons is 1.7 times the rate among Whites and more than double the rates among Hispanic and Asian persons.

Final Assessment

• The target was met for coronary heart disease deaths and cholesterol screening.
• The stroke death rate declined but did not meet the target.

For more information, please refer to these resources:

• NJDOH Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
• NJDOH Cardiac and Acute Stroke Services
• CDC Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
• American Heart Association
• Healthy People 2030

Reference:

1. Heart Disease and Stroke. Healthy People 2020. 10/08/20.
2. Forecasting the Burden of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in the United States Through 2050—Prevalence of Risk Factors and Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association. Accessed on 6/20/24.