Health Equity

The American Heart Association’s 2024 Impact Goal calls for identifying and removing barriers to health care access and quality. We’re taking bold actions to remove barriers to health, including the social determinants of health, structural racism and rural health inequities. One of our commitments includes addressing health equity in the workplace. Inequity, discrimination and bias have no place in the workplace. Yet, they remain and have been proven to take a heavy toll on the health and wellbeing of employees, organizations and their communities.

Working toward health equity is the right thing to do for all organizations. Healthy employees are more productive and health care costs are reduced as a result. The health of the workforce will improve if more employers commit to actions that build equity.

Visit heart.org/workplaceequity to learn more.

Life’s Essential 8

Maintaining cardiovascular health, or CVH, can help you enjoy a longer, healthier life. Better CVH also has been associated with decreased risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia and other major health problems.

The American Heart Association has updated key measures scientifically proven to determine cardiovascular health. Called Life’s Essential 8, they are:

• Healthy diet

• Controlled blood pressure

• Not smoking or vaping

• Healthy levels of cholesterol and lipids

• Physical activity

• Healthy blood sugar levels

• Adequate sleep

• Healthy weight

Factors outside Life’s Essential 8 greatly influence your cardiovascular health. Mental health and the conditions in which you are born and live also play an important role. Put another way, high CVH isn’t just about what you do to get healthy. Historical, environmental and systemic problems can limit or enhance your ability to effectively pursue Life’s Essential 8.

Learn more at heart.org/lifes8.