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State
Program: Alaska
Capacity Building
The Alaska Department of Health began
receiving funds from CDC in 2002 to support a state heart disease and
stroke prevention program.
Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke
- Heart disease is the second leading
cause of death in Alaska, accounting for 567 deaths or approximately 19%
of the state's deaths in 2002. (National Vital Statistics Report
2004;53(5)).
- Stroke is the fourth leading cause of
death, accounting for 158 deaths or approximately 5% of the state's
deaths in 2002. (National Vital Statistics Report 2004;53(5)).
- According to Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey results, adults in Alaska
reported the following risk factors for heart disease and stroke:
In 2005,
- 21.5% had high blood pressure
- 32.8% of those screened reported having high blood cholesterol
In 2006,
- 5.9% had diabetes
- 24.0% were current smokers
- 64.2% were overweight or obese (Body
Mass Index greater than or equal to 25.0)
- 21.4% reported no exercise in the prior 30 days
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 Heart Disease and Stroke
urgency, the signs and symptoms of heart disease and stroke,
and the need to call 9–1–1.
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State Highlights
- Alaska is part of the Northwest Regional Stroke Network funded by
CDC. The Network is led by the Washington Department of Public Health
and also includes Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.
- The program coordinates the state-level Take Heart Alaska Coalition.
The coalition has about 45 active organizations involved on the
subcommittees. The purpose of Take Heart Alaska is to increase heart
health among all Alaskans through advocacy for individual, worksite,
community-based commitment to healthy lifestyles and improving access to
preventive services.
- Take Heart Alaska developed the Alaska Cardiovascular Disease
Burden Report. The report contains cardiovascular mortality and risk
factor data. The report is guiding planning efforts of the Take Heart
Alaska Coalition. The completed plan was recently revised and
disseminated to key stakeholders throughout the state. It is available
on the web at:
http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/chronic/chp/.*
- The Take Heart Alaska Coalition has developed a Take Heart Alaska
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Plan. The plan includes strategies for
addressing major cardiovascular risk factors and secondary prevention of
cardiovascular disease and stroke. This plan provides a clear
understanding of how geographical, weather, and travel barriers impact
program goals and strategies.
- The Alaska Women Take Heart Coalition implemented a statewide
educational campaign to addresses the signs and symptoms of heart attack
for women. The committee developed a community coordinator's kit to
support this initiative, which was distributed to health educators,
hospitals, nurses, worksites, etc. It is also available on line at
http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/chronic/chp/.*
- The Alaska Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program collaborated
with fifteen Alaska federally qualified community health centers to
implement the Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Pilot Project. This
project’s goal was to implement consistent preventive and follow-up
protocols for controlling high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure
in rural clinics.
- The Alaska Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program has been
working on a collaborative effort with the Women's Health Committee of
the state primary care association that centers on consumer education.
The group has produced a Women's Guide to Health which was printed and
distributed February 2004.
- The Alaska Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program, in
collaboration with the programs within the section of chronic disease
prevention, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield, and three local small
business owners, engaged in the Small Business Pilot Project to
determine the strategies necessary for small employers to establish and
sustain effective worksite heart disease and stroke prevention health
promotion programs.
For more information on the heart disease
and stroke prevention program in Alaska, visit
http://partners.hss.state.ak.us/takeheart/.*
To view county-level data, visit our
interactive map site at
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/maps/statemaps.htm.
*Links to non–Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
Page last reviewed:
October 11, 2007
Page last modified: October 11, 2007
Content source:
Division for Heart Disease and Stroke
Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion |
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