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In the three-and-a-half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the fragmented state of abortion access has put medical professionals in a precarious position. Many states have tightened abortion restrictions, with some enacting criminal penalties up to life in prison for physicians who perform abortions. Medical schools have curtailed abortion-related curricula.

New research led in part by the University of Washington found that the new restrictions are not only affecting the current medical workforce — they may be shaping the next generation of physicians. The study, published March 2 in JAMA Network Open, found that applications to medical residency programs in states that enacted new abortion restrictions dropped sharply following the Dobbs ruling.

The decrease occurred among both male and female applicants. Applications to specialties related to reproductive health — obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, internal medicine and emergency medicine — saw the largest decreases.

The new study builds on previous research that had shown decreased application rates to residency programs in states with abortion restrictions by applying causal methodologies to understand the impact of the Supreme Court decision and isolating results from male and female applicants.

“This research provides important empirical evidence about how state-level policy changes following Dobbs may influence decisions made by medical trainees about where to pursue their graduate medical education,” said co-author Anirban Basu, a UW professor of health economics and director of the Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute.

To learn more about the research, UW News sat down the paper’s three authors: Basu; lead author Dr. Anisha Ganguly, assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and co-author Dr. Anna Morenz, assistant clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Arizona. Both Ganguly and Morenz completed their internal medicine residencies at the UW School of Medicine.

The medical residency match process is quite different from traditional higher-ed applications. Can you explain how that works, and how it relates to your study’s findings?

Dr. Anna Morenz: Applicants may apply to as many programs as they want, with some applying to dozens of programs. At the end of interviews, they’ll rank those programs based on their preferred landing spots. The programs, in turn, will rank all the applicants that they received. A computer algorithm then matches everyone with the goal of filling all the residency slots, and it’s very good at that. We know that almost all open residency slots in the U.S. are filled. So programs are still filling their residency slots even in states with restrictions.

What concerns us about these findings is that there’s an early signal of people avoiding applications to these states. That has potential implications for the quality of the applicants to restricted states, which could not be assessed in our data. There’s typically a high likelihood that people stay where they train for their residency, but if you landed in a restricted state that was low on your rank list, you may be more likely to complete your training and then leave to a non-restricted state. We aim to look at this very important question in projects to come.

Anisha and Anna, you’re both practicing primary care physicians. How big a part of a physician’s training is abortion and other pregnancy-related care? 

Dr. Anisha Ganguly: It’s not a big part of our training traditionally, though there has been a movement to integrate more abortion care into primary care residencies. That’s more the case in family medicine rather than internal medicine, because medication abortion has now become the most common means for abortion care. As internists, we commonly diagnose pregnancies and care for women with medical conditions as they consider family planning.

AM: I do think it’s important to note that a huge percentage of primary care physicians are trained in family medicine. And family medicine physicians are trained in delivery of babies, management of prenatal care, miscarriage management, contraception and abortion. Anisha and I trained in internal medicine, and there is increasing interest to include medication abortion training in internal medicine, as it is fully within our scope of practice.

The effects of the Dobbs decision have been well-documented, and previous work on this topic highlighted changes in OB/GYN residency applications. What’s new in your study specifically? 

Anirban Basu: We had a much longer pre-period than previous studies. We looked back to 2019 to see what had been happening to application rates in these two kinds of states — those that eventually restricted abortion access and those that didn’t — and we showed that these rates had been moving similarly until the ruling. That gives a little more weight to the evidence to say the change is due to the ruling. 

The second big thing is that previous studies did not distinguish whether men and women were changing their behavior similarly. I think that’s a very important finding in our study, that male applicants are changing their behavior at an even higher rate. 

AG: I agree that the gender stratification was an important contribution. The other stratified analysis that we explored was about how specialty type may be driving some of the effects that we saw. A lot of people can reason that OB/GYN applicants would be affected by this directly, and there’s a lot of literature to support that. But what we’re showing is that it’s not just the OB/GYN workforce that’s going to be impacted. It’s the primary care workforce and the emergency medicine workforce. 

We’re hoping that message spreads a little more broadly. This is not just about women’s health. It’s about the future of primary care and the person who’s going to save you from your heart attack in the future.

Let’s talk a little more about that gender stratification. You found that male applicants changed their application preferences at a greater rate than female applicants, which looks like a surprising result. What’s going on there? 

AG: When we generated our original hypotheses, we thought we were going to see increased effects among women applying to residency, but we actually ended up seeing that there were long-term disparities that existed pre-Dobbs between restricted and non-restricted states. This was likely because of the laws targeting abortion providers and other state-level laws that were affecting women’s behavior. What we’re seeing is that women had been reading the tea leaves about access to reproductive health care prior to the Dobbs decision, but the decision did unmask a wider problem that drove a lot of new behavior among men.

One of the messages that we are getting from this paper is this is an “all of us” problem. It’s not just about women physicians. It’s about men who are also making choices about their professional autonomy and also about access to reproductive health care for their families. Women have been and will be considering their personal access to care and autonomy before this decision, but perhaps these state restrictions after Dobbs may have newly increased awareness among men. 

Among all these shifts, you found one group whose application rates didn’t change significantly: people applying to highly competitive medical specialities. What do you think explains that stickiness? 

AG: Anna and I had brainstormed about this being a potential effect modifier, because people who are applying in highly competitive specialties like orthopedic surgery or dermatology apply very broadly and don’t get to exercise a lot of choice about where to go. Whereas for large specialities like internal medicine, family medicine or pediatrics, there are a lot of programs in a lot of places, so applicants have more options. In those cases, state-level policies like abortion restrictions can factor more into people’s decision-making.

At an institutional level, what changes could be made to address these trends? 

AG: Institutions can make choices to mitigate some of these effects by supporting candidates with access to reproductive care within the scope of the restrictions that exist. Other industries are building in travel benefits for women who may need to travel to access these services. 

It’s not this aspect of a decision alone that shapes a residency applicant’s choice to go to a specific place or program. But there are other things that institutions can do to make trainees, particularly women, feel supported and valued. If you’re existing in an environment where state policies make women feel a lack of autonomy, then there are workforce policies that can be in place to bolster that sense of autonomy. That could take the shape of parental leave policies, lactation policies, other things that institutions can do to make women feel like, even if this part of your voice has been taken away, we’ll help you with the rest.

AB: One policy that has a long history of literature supporting it is financial incentives. Physicians do respond to financial incentives, but in many cases those incentives need to be quite steep to get people to change their decisions. 

AM: The other option is training opportunities. A lot of programs in states that had laws or restrictions that preceded the Dobbs decision would set up partnerships with organizations in another state where they could send their trainees to learn about pregnancy termination and miscarriage management. That’s a burden on residency programs and residents both. You have to set up housing and travel agreements. But that’s another key thing that programs need to keep in mind in order to recruit applicants. 

For more information or to contact the researchers, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Over five decades, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has become known as the nation’s first “food as medicine” program. Low-income families receiving WIC benefits — which provides nutritious food in designated categories, nutrition education and access to other social services — have fewer premature births and infant deaths, eat higher-quality diets, and are more likely to receive regular medical care. 

But many families who are income eligible to participate in WIC aren’t receiving those benefits. Research has found that households who don’t use the full amount of their nutrition benefits are more likely to drop from the program. 

New research by the University of Washington has found that households who redeem more of their benefits in the most popular food categories are more likely to remain in the program long-term. Better understanding these patterns could help WIC agencies identify families who might need a little extra encouragement to stay enrolled.

The study was published Dec. 3 in JAMA Network Open. 

“Finding ways to identify kids and families that are at risk of dropping out of the program is of high importance,” said Pia Chaparro, a UW assistant professor of health systems and population health and first author of the study. “That’s basically what we’ve identified — a way to flag families who may be at risk of dropping off.”

WIC provides families with food benefits in specific categories, with fruits and vegetables and eggs as the most popular. In partnership with Public Health Foundation Enterprises WIC (PHFE WIC), a Southern California WIC agency with a large research and evaluation division, researchers analyzed redemption data from 188,000 participating infants and children 0-3 years old, between the years 2019 and 2023. 

Among those children, higher redemption of fruits and vegetables, eggs, whole milk and infant formula was associated with lower risk of their household discontinuing WIC participation. 

The risk of discontinuation decreased in a somewhat linear fashion as redemption rates increased.

Chaparro hopes that local WIC agencies will build on these findings and seek new ways to engage families at risk of dropping off. All WIC providers must offer nutrition education, which could be an opportunity to target households with lower redemption rates in popular categories. 

The findings come just over a year after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees WIC, implemented significant updates to the program’s food package. Among other changes, the 2024 rule significantly increased benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables, which has proven popular.

“The expansion of fruit and vegetable benefits for WIC families has been among the most important policy changes of the last decade,” said Shannon Whaley, director of research and evaluation at PHFE WIC and co-author of the study. “Families want more fruits and vegetables, and this research demonstrates that their inclusion in the WIC food package is essential for longer-term engagement in the program.”

Christopher Anderson of the University of Tennessee and PHFE WIC is the corresponding author. This study was funded by The Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) Partnership.

When uncontrolled wildfires moved from the foothills above Los Angeles into the densely populated urban areas below in January 2025, evacuation ensued and a thick layer of toxic smoke spread across the region. Air quality plummeted. Local hospitals braced for a surge, but it never came.  

Research led by the University of Washington and Kaiser Permanente Southern California sheds new light on how the Los Angeles fires affected people’s health, and how people navigated the health care system during an emergency. In the rapid study, published Nov. 26 in JAMA Health Forum, researchers analyzed the health records of 3.7 million Kaiser Permanente members of all ages living in the region. They found that health care visits did rise above normal levels, especially virtual services.  

In the week after the fires ignited, Kaiser Permanente members made 42% more virtual visits for respiratory symptoms than expected. Those living near a burn zone or within Los Angeles County also made 44% and 40% more virtual cardiovascular visits, respectively, than expected. 

In-person outpatient visits for respiratory symptoms also increased substantially. Members who lived near a burn zone or within Los Angeles County made 27% and 31% more virtual cardiovascular visits, respectively, than expected. 

Extrapolating to all insured residents of the county, the researchers estimated an excess of 15,792 cardiovascular virtual visits, 18,489 respiratory virtual visits and 27,903 respiratory outpatient visits in the first week of the fires. 

The results suggest that people may rely more heavily on virtual health care during climate-related emergencies, and that providers should better prioritize virtual and telehealth services as they prepare for future crises. 

“We saw over 6,241 excess cardiorespiratory virtual visits in the week following the fire ignition. This represents a substantial increase in care,” said Joan Casey, a UW associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of epidemiology who led the research. “While the fires clearly impacted health, virtual care likely enhanced the ability of providers to meet the health care needs of people experiencing an ongoing climate disaster.” 

In collaboration with Kaiser Permanente Southern California, an integrated health care system with millions of members across the region, researchers analyzed health records of people who were highly or moderately exposed to wildfires. They defined high exposure as living within about 12 miles (20 kilometers) of a burn zone, and moderate exposure as living within Los Angeles County but farther than 12 miles during the time of the fires.  

Researchers looked back three years to estimate how many health care visits to expect in the weeks following Jan. 7 — the first day of the fires — under typical conditions. They then estimated how many people sought care in the first week of the fires, when smoke levels were highest, evacuations took place, and Los Angeles County public schools were closed.

In addition to the spike in cardiovascular and respiratory visits, researchers found a sharp increase in the number of visits for injuries and neuropsychiatric symptoms. On Jan. 7, outpatient injury visits were 18% higher than expected among highly exposed members, and virtual injury visits were 26% and 18% higher than expected among highly and moderately exposed groups, respectively. Among those same groups, outpatient neuropsychiatric visits rose 31% and 28% above expectations, respectively.

While both groups made significantly more visits than expected, proximity to the fires mattered. When researchers zoomed in on respiratory-related virtual visits, they found that minimally exposed members made 31% more visits, moderately exposed members made 36% more, and those living in highly exposed areas made 42% more.  

“While healthcare systems often plan to increase the number of hospital beds available or clinic staffing during an emergency, this work highlights the importance of considering virtual care capacity,” said Lauren Wilner, a UW doctoral student of epidemiology and co-author on the study. “This may be particularly true for climate disasters like wildfires, during which people are advised to stay indoors or when people must evacuate — motivating them to seek care online if at all possible. As climate disasters increase in frequency and intensity, it is essential that health care systems know how to prepare for a sudden and dramatic surge in health care utilization.” 

Other authors on this study are Yuqian Gu, Gina Lee and Sara Tartof of Kaiser Permanente Southern California; Lara Schwarz of the University of California, Berkeley; Timothy Frankland of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii; Heather McBrien and Nina Flores of Columbia University; Chen Chen and Arnab Dey of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego; and Tarik Benmarhnia of the Scripps Institution and the University of Rennes in France.

This research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. 

For more information or to reach the research team, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

About 10% of American babies are born prematurely. Birth before 37 weeks can lead to a cascade of health risks, both immediate and long-term, making prevention a vital tool for improving public health over generations. 

In recent years, researchers have identified a potential link between wildfire smoke — one of the fastest-growing sources of air pollution in the United States — and preterm birth, but no study has been big or broad enough to draw definitive conclusions. A new study led by the University of Washington makes an important contribution, analyzing data from more than 20,000 births to find that pregnant people who are exposed to wildfire smoke are more likely to give birth prematurely.

“Preventing preterm birth really pays off with lasting benefits for future health,” said lead author Allison Sherris, a UW postdoctoral researcher in environmental and occupational health sciences. “It’s also something of a mystery. We don’t always understand why babies are born preterm, but we know that air pollution contributes to preterm births, and it makes sense that wildfire smoke would as well. This study underscores that wildfire smoke is inseparable from maternal and infant health.”

In the study, published Nov. 3 in The Lancet Planetary Health, researchers used data from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, a federal research project focused on how a wide range of environmental factors affect children’s health. The sample included 20,034 births from 2006-2020 across the contiguous United States.

Researchers estimated participants’ average daily exposure to fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, generated by wildfire smoke, and the total number of days they were exposed to any amount of smoke. They estimated the intensity of smoke exposure by how frequently participants were exposed to wildfire PM2.5 levels above certain thresholds.

They found that pregnant people exposed to more intense wildfire smoke were more likely to give birth prematurely. In mid-pregnancy, exposure to any smoke was associated with an elevated risk of preterm birth, with that risk peaking around the 21st week of gestation. In late pregnancy, elevated risk was most closely associated with exposure to high concentrations of wildfire PM2.5, above 10 micrograms per cubic meter.

“The second trimester is a period of pregnancy with the richest and most intense growth of the placenta, which itself is such an important part of fetal health, growth and development,” said co-author Dr. Catherine Karr, a UW professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of pediatrics in the UW School of Medicine. “So it may be that the wildfire smoke particles are really interfering with placental health. Some of them are so tiny that after inhalation they can actually get into the bloodstream and get delivered directly into the placenta or fetus.” 

The link was strongest and most precise in the Western U.S., where people were exposed to the highest concentrations of wildfire PM2.5 and the greatest number of high-intensity smoke days. Here, the odds of preterm birth increased with each additional microgram per cubic meter of average wildfire PM2.5.

It’s possible those results were more precise simply because the West experiences more wildfire smoke on average, making the exposure model perform better, Sherris said. But there may be other factors behind the regional differences. 

The composition of wildfire smoke is different across the country. In the West, smoke tends to come from fires nearby, while in places like the Midwest, smoke has typically drifted in from faraway fires. Smoke’s toxicity changes as it ages and reacts with sunlight and airborne chemicals, which could have affected the results. Researchers also noted that external factors like co-occurring heat or housing quality may have effects that aren’t fully understood. 

Researchers hope that future studies will examine the exact mechanisms by which wildfire smoke might trigger preterm birth. But in the meantime, Sherris said, evidence for a link is now strong enough to take action. 

“There are a couple avenues for change,” Sherris said. “First, people already get a lot of public health messaging and information throughout pregnancy, so there’s an opportunity to work with clinicians to provide tools for pregnant people to protect themselves during smoke events. Public health agencies’ messaging about wildfire smoke could also be tailored to pregnant people and highlight them as a vulnerable group.”

Co-authors include Logan Dearborn, doctoral student of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW; Christine Loftus, clinical associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW; Adam Szpiro, professor of biostatistics at the UW; Joan Casey, associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of epidemiology at the UW; Sindana Ilango, postdoctoral fellow of epidemiology at the UW; and Marissa Childs, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW. A full list of co-authors is included with the paper.

This research was funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program at the National Institutes of Health under multiple awards. A full list of ECHO funding awards is included with the paper. 

For more information or to contact the researchers, email Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Targeted drug delivery is a powerful and promising area of medicine. Therapies that pinpoint the exact areas of the body where they’re needed — and nowhere they’re not — can reduce the medicine dosage and avoid potentially harmful “off target” effects elsewhere in the body. A targeted immunotherapy, for example, might seek out cancerous tissues and activate immune cells to fight the disease only in those tissues.

The tricky part is making a therapy truly “smart,” where the medicine can move freely through the body and decide which areas to target.

Researchers at the University of Washington took a significant step toward that goal by designing proteins with autonomous decision-making capabilities. In a proof-of-principles study published Oct. 9 in Nature Chemical Biology, researchers demonstrated that by adding smart tail structures to therapeutic proteins, they could control the proteins’ localization based on the presence of specific environmental cues. These protein tails fold themselves into preprogrammed shapes that define how they react to different combinations of cues. In addition, the experiment showed that the smart protein tails could be attached to a carrier material for delivery to living cells.

Advances in synthetic biology also allowed the researchers to manufacture these proteins cheaply and in a matter of days instead of months.

“We’ve been thinking about these concepts for some time but have struggled with ways to increase and automate production,” said senior author Cole DeForest, a UW professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering. “We’ve now finally figured out how to produce these systems faster, at scale and with dramatically enhanced logical complexity. We are excited about how these will lead to more sophisticated and scalable disease-honing therapies.”

The concept of programmable biomaterials isn’t new. Scientists have developed numerous strategies to make systems responsive to individual cues — such as pH levels or the presence of specific enzymes — that are associated with a particular disease or area of the body. But it’s rare to find one cue, or “biomarker,” that’s unique to one spot, so a material that hones in on just one biomarker might act on a few unintended places in addition to the target.

One solution to this problem is to seek out a combination of biomarkers. There might be many areas of the body with particular enzyme or pH levels, but there are likely fewer areas with both of those factors. In theory, the more biomarkers a material can identify, the more finely targeted drug delivery can be.

In 2018, DeForest’s lab created a new class of materials that responded to multiple biomarkers using Boolean logic, a concept traditionally used in computer programming.

“We realized that we could program how therapeutics were released based simply on how they were connected to a carrier material,” DeForest said. “For example, if we linked a therapeutic cargo to a material via two degradable groups connected in series — that is, each after the other — it would be released if either group was degraded, acting as an OR gate. When the degradable groups were instead connected in parallel — that is, each on a different half of a cycle — both groups had to be degraded for cargo release, functioning as an AND gate. Excitingly, by combining these basic gates we could readily create advanced logical circuits.”

It was a big step forward, but it wasn’t scalable — the team built these large and complex logic-responsive materials manually through traditional organic chemistry.

But over the next several years, the related field of synthetic biology advanced by leaps and bounds.

“The field has developed exciting new protein-based tools that can allow researchers to form permanent bonds between proteins,” said co-first author Murial Ross, a UW doctoral student of bioengineering. “It opened doors for new protein structures that were previously unachievable, which made more complex logical operations possible.”

Additionally, it became practical to use living cells as factories to produce these complex proteins, allowing scientists to design custom DNA blueprints for new proteins, insert the DNA into bacteria or other host cells, and then collect the proteins with the desired structure directly from the cells.

With these new tools, DeForest and his team streamlined and improved many steps of the process at once. They designed and produced proteins with tails that spontaneously fold into more bespoke shapes, creating complex “circuits” that can respond to up to five different biomarkers. These new proteins can attach to various carriers — hydrogels, tiny beads or living cells — for delivery to a cell, or theoretically a disease site. The team even loaded up one carrier with three different proteins, each programmed to deliver their unique cargo based on different sets of environmental cues.

“We were so excited about the results,” DeForest said. “Using the old process, it would take months to synthesize just a few milligrams of each of these materials. Now it takes us a couple of weeks to go from construct design to product. It’s been a complete game changer for us.”

“The sky’s the limit. You can create delayed and independent delivery of many different components in one treatment,” Ross said. “And I think we could create much, much larger logical circuits that a protein can be responsive to. We’re at the point now that the technology is outpacing what we’ve seriously considered in terms of applications, which is a great place to be.”

The researchers will now continue searching for more biomarkers that proteins could target. They also hope to start collaborating with other labs at the UW and beyond to build and deploy real-world therapies.

The team outlined other uses for the technology as well. The same tools could manufacture therapies within a single cell and direct them to specific regions, a sort of microcosm of how the process works in the body. DeForest also envisions diagnostic tools like blood tests that could, say, turn a certain color when a complex set of cues within the blood sample are present.

DeForest thinks the first practical applications are likely to be cancer treatments, but with more research, the possibilities feel endless.

“The dream is to be able to pick any arbitrary location inside of the body — down to individual cells — and program a material to go and act there,” he said. “That’s a tall order, but with these technologies we’re getting closer. With the right combination of biomarkers, these materials will just get more and more precise.”

Co-authors include Annabella Li, a former UW undergraduate student of chemical engineering; Shivani Kottantharayil, a UW undergraduate student of bioengineering; and Jack Hoye, a UW doctoral student of chemical engineering.

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

For more information, contact DeForest at profcole@uw.edu. 

Aspectos destacados de la declaración:

• Mantener patrones alimenticios saludables a lo largo de la vida puede reducir el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares y otros problemas de salud crónicos, de acuerdo con la última actualización de la guía alimentaria que se ofrece en la nueva declaración científica de la American Heart Association.
• En la guía, se hace énfasis en un patrón alimentario rico en verduras, frutas y granos integrales con menos azúcar, sal y comidas ultraprocesadas, y se priorizan las proteínas de origen vegetal como las legumbres, incluidos los frijoles, las arvejas y las lentejas, así como también las semillas y los frutos secos.
• La actualización aparece en un momento crucial, ya que en EE. UU. la mitad de los adultos padecen alguna enfermedad cardiovascular, debido en parte a las altas tasas de factores de riesgo de salud, como la presión arterial alta, la diabetes y la obesidad, que usualmente se relacionan con ciertos estilos de vida, en particular con los malos hábitos alimenticios y la falta de actividad física.

Prohibida su divulgación hasta las 4 a. m. CT/5 a. m. ET, martes 31 de marzo del 2026

DALLAS, 31 de marzo del 2026 — Más de la mitad de los adultos y alrededor del 60% de los niños en EE. UU. tienen dietas poco saludables, lo que puede contribuir a un aumento en los factores de riesgo para la salud, como la presión arterial alta y la obesidad, y provocar directamente resultados negativos en la salud, incluidos la muerte por enfermedades cardiovasculares (sitio web en inglés) y otras enfermedades crónicas, según la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés). Seguir un patrón de alimentación saludable a lo largo de la vida puede reducir significativamente el riesgo y es la base para la actualización de la declaración científica, en la que se reflexiona sobre las últimas guías de nutrición que se publicaron hoy en Circulation (sitio web en inglés), la principal revista médica revisada por expertos de la American Heart Association, una fuerza global que está cambiando el futuro de la salud para todos.

La guía alimentaria del 2026 para mejorar la salud cardiovascular: una declaración científica de la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés) actualiza las guías de la Asociación del 2021 con los últimos hallazgos científicos basados en la evidencia orientados a reducir el riesgo de las enfermedades cardiovasculares, mejorar la calidad de vida y salvar vidas. En la declaración, se mencionan nueve características clave de un patrón alimentario cardiosaludable:

1. Ajuste la ingesta y el gasto energético para lograr y mantener un peso saludable: procure equilibrar la cantidad de alimentos que consume con su nivel de actividad física para poder lograr y mantener un peso saludable.
2. Consuma una gran cantidad de frutas y verduras y elija una amplia variedad: incluya diferentes colores, texturas y tipos de frutas y verduras, y recuerde que incluso las opciones enlatadas o congeladas pueden ser nutritivas y económicas.
3. Elija alimentos hechos mayormente con granos integrales en lugar de granos refinados: los alimentos como el pan integral, el arroz integral y la avena son mejores opciones que los granos refinados, incluidos el pan blanco y el arroz blanco.
4. Elija fuentes de proteína más saludables: cambie la carne por fuentes de proteína de origen vegetal como las legumbres, los frijoles, las arvejas y las lentejas, además de frutos secos y semillas; consuma regularmente pescado y mariscos; elija productos lácteos semidescremados o descremados y si desea carne roja, elija cortes magros, evite carnes procesadas y limite el tamaño de la porción.
5. Elija fuentes de grasas insaturadas en lugar de fuentes de grasas saturadas: reemplace las grasas saturadas con grasas insaturadas saludables como las provenientes de los frutos secos, las semillas, los aguacates y los aceites de plantas no tropicales.
6. Elija alimentos poco procesados en lugar de ultraprocesados: consuma alimentos cercanos a su estado natural, con pocos productos comerciales agregados, en lugar de aquellos ultraprocesados con aditivos.
7. Minimice el consumo de azúcares agregados en bebidas y alimentos: limite el consumo de las bebidas endulzadas con azúcar y de los alimentos con azúcar agregado.
8. Elija alimentos con poco sodio y prepare las comidas con poca sal o sin ella: tenga en cuenta las fuentes de sodio ocultas en los alimentos preparados y envasados comercialmente y sazone su comida con opciones más saludables como hierbas, especias o limón en lugar de sal.
9. Si no consume alcohol, no comience a consumirlo, si consume alcohol, limite la ingesta: el alcohol puede incrementar el riesgo de presión arterial alta y otras enfermedades, así que si no bebe, no comience a hacerlo.

“Como una fuente confiable la American Heart Association publica una guía alimentaria basada en la evidencia, aproximadamente cada cinco años, y lleva a cabo una revisión compleja que evoluciona junto con la investigación emergente. Nuestra guía del 2026 puede parecer familiar, ya que no ha cambiado mucho desde las recomendaciones del 2021”, indicó Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., FAHA, presidenta voluntaria del comité de redacción de las declaraciones científicas, científica sénior y líder de la Directiva de Dieta y Prevención de Enfermedades Crónicas en el Centro de Investigación en Nutrición Humana sobre el Envejecimiento Jean Mayer del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés) en la Universidad Tufts, en Boston. “Encontramos que la evidencia que apoya las guías se ha fortalecido. La evidencia más sólida da lugar a algunas actualizaciones sutiles, pero importantes, que aseguran que la guía permanece alineada con la evidencia científica más actual y sólida sobre la dieta y la salud cardiovascular”.

La guía alimentaria del 2026 es una declaración más concisa y está específicamente enfocada en la alimentación para la salud cardíaca. La evidencia más reciente respalda las características clave y pone el énfasis en el cambio de elecciones no saludables por otras más saludables. Destaca las fuentes saludables de proteínas y de grasas insaturadas y refuerza la importancia de un patrón alimentario cardiosaludable a lo largo de la vida.

Las especificaciones incluyen lo siguiente:

• Proteína: mientras la evidencia sobre la relación entre la cantidad de proteína que se ingiere con el riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas es aún incierta, la guía actualizada del 2026 reconoce que la mayoría de las personas consumen más proteína proveniente de la carne que de origen vegetal. Debido a esto la guía actualmente respalda múltiples opciones saludables de fuentes de proteína, incluye fuentes ricas en proteínas de origen vegetal y fomenta el reemplazo de las carnes rojas por distintas fuentes de proteína, tanto vegetales como animales.
• Grasa saturada: la guía previa se enfocaba especialmente en el uso de aceites vegetales líquidos en lugar de grasa animal, aceites tropicales o grasas hidrogenadas de manera parcial (grasas trans). La actualización del 2026, en cambio, proporciona una guía más amplia en la elección de fuentes alimentarias de grasas insaturadas por sobre las fuentes de grasas saturadas. En la declaración, también se destaca que “los patrones alimentarios que cumplen las nueve características descritas en este documento difícilmente exceden el 10% de la energía de grasas saturadas”; en línea con las Pautas alimentarias para los estadounidenses del período 2025-2030 que publicó el Gobierno federal.
• Lácteos: aunque aún se recomiendan los productos lácteos semidescremados o descremados como opción preferida para controlar la ingesta de calorías y grasas, la guía actualizada reconoce que los posibles beneficios de salud de estos productos comparados con los productos lácteos enteros continúan en debate.
• Alimentos ultraprocesados: las investigaciones actuales relacionan el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados con resultados negativos en la salud. La guía actualizada hace hincapié en que se debe hacer el esfuerzo de fomentar la elección de alimentos mínimamente procesados, como un enfoque para desviar el mercado de las comidas ultraprocesadas. El resultado podría ser un incremento en la disponibilidad de opciones mínimamente procesadas en donde sea que las personas coman o compren alimentos.
• Sodio: aunque se reconoce que muchos alimentos, particularmente los ultraprocesados, son altos en sodio, la guía del 2026 pone más énfasis en la elección de alimentos bajos en sodio y en preparar las comidas con poca o nada de sal. También incluye información más actual sobre la función que desempeñan los alimentos ricos en potasio en el control de la presión arterial, comparado con lo que se sabía en el 2021.
• Alcohol: la nueva guía contempla que el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los Estados Unidos y la Organización Mundial de la Salud reconocen que no hay un nivel seguro de consumo de alcohol cuando se refiere al riesgo de padecer ciertos tipos de cáncer; la guía actualizada de la Asociación presenta la evidencia actual, ya que se relaciona con las enfermedades cardiovasculares y respalda las recomendaciones de no comenzar a beber alcohol o de limitar su consumo, si ya se consumía previamente.

El progreso por sobre la perfección

La guía alimentaria del 2026 se enfoca en la relación específica de su estado de salud y lo que come. Sin embargo, Lichtenstein mencionó que es importante reconocer que no es ni prescriptiva ni restrictiva. Está intencionalmente diseñada para proporcionar flexibilidad a fin de poder personalizar un patrón alimentario saludable que se acomode a las preferencias personales, etnia y prácticas religiosas, necesidades personales, presupuestos y etapas variadas de la vida. Ella agrega que este es el mejor enfoque para fomentar que se haga de por vida.

“Para que la alimentación saludable sea más factible y sostenible, les recomendamos que se enfoquen en un patrón general de alimentación en vez de en nutrientes o alimentos específicos. Este enfoque es viable, es algo que se puede modificar mientras las personas pasan por distintas etapas de sus vidas, siempre y cuando se adhieran a las nueve características clave. “La guía se puede aplicar en donde sea que coma: en casa, en la escuela, en el trabajo, en restaurantes o en su comunidad. Se recomienda buscar el progreso en vez de la perfección. Cada vez que elija hacer el cambio a una alternativa más saludable, usted está dando un paso hacia una vida más saludable”.

Una vida de alimentación saludable: por qué es importante

Lichtenstein destaca que lo más importante es hacer elecciones más saludables que puedan ser sostenibles a lo largo de la vida.

“Las enfermedades cardiovasculares comienzan a una edad temprana, hasta los factores prenatales pueden contribuir a aumentar el riesgo en los niños durante su crecimiento. Así que es importante que los hábitos alimenticios saludables se incorporen en la niñez y continúen durante toda la vida”, expresó. “La mejor manera de hacerlo es que los adultos sean el modelo a seguir y muestren patrones de alimentación saludable tanto dentro como fuera del hogar”.

La guía actualizada del 2026 recomienda lo siguiente:

• Los niños pueden y deben comenzar un patrón de alimentación cardiosaludable en el primer año de vida.
• Las familias desempeñan una función muy importante; cuando los adultos llenan el hogar con alimentos cardiosaludables, es muy probable que los niños hagan lo mismo.
• Las necesidades alimenticias varían a lo largo de la vida y pueden cambiar; trabaje con su médico y su equipo de cuidados de salud para que adapten estas recomendaciones a sus necesidades de salud individuales y sus antecedentes médicos.
• Los patrones alimentarios cardiosaludables son adaptables a la cultura y las preferencias alimentarias de cada persona.

De acuerdo con las estadísticas sobre enfermedades cardíacas y derrames cerebrales (ataques cerebrales) del 2026 (sitio web en inglés), más de la mitad de los adultos en EE. UU. padecen actualmente algún tipo de enfermedad cardiovascular. La Asociación proyecta que el número subirá a 6 de cada 10 adultos estadounidenses para el 2050 , debido al aumento en las tasas de factores de riesgo como la presión arterial alta, la obesidad y la diabetes.

Además de tener malos hábitos alimentarios, la mayoría de las personas en EE. UU. no hacen la cantidad de actividad física adecuada.

• Además, en las estadísticas del 2026 de la Asociación se evidenció que solo 1 de cada 4 adultos estadounidenses y 1 de cada 5 jóvenes de 6 a 17 años cumplen con las recomendaciones para estar físicamente activos.

Esta combinación de hábitos alimentarios no saludables e inactividad física es probable que conduzca a altas tasas de sobrepeso y obesidad en adultos y niños.

• Más del 40% de los adultos y 1 de cada 5 niños (de 2 a 19 años) tienen obesidad y se proyecta que esas cifras aumenten, de acuerdo con los pronósticos de la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés).

“Estas tasas son alarmantes y refuerzan que una vida de hábitos alimentarios saludables es crucial porque la presión arterial alta y la obesidad son las principales causas de enfermedades crónicas y muerte. Cuando se reflexiona sobre nuestra labor para mejorar la salud de todas las personas, es crucial entender la necesidad de implementar la prevención desde etapas tempranas”, indicó Amit Khera, M.D., FAHA, vicepresidente voluntario del comité de redacción de las guías alimentarias y director de cardiología preventiva y clínica y jefe de cardiología en el Centro Médico Southwestern de la Universidad de Texas en Dallas. “Las elecciones intencionales en todas las etapas de la vida pueden hacer una gran diferencia. Los padres y otros adultos pueden fomentar y modelar los comportamientos saludables en general de sus hijos para que tengan un comienzo saludable”.

Khera observó que hasta un 80% de las enfermedades cardíacas y los ataques o derrames cerebrales se pueden evitar y que seguir las guías de estilo de vida saludable Life’s Essential 8™ de la American Heart Association puede ayudar a esos esfuerzos de prevención. Life's Essential 8 es un conjunto de cuatro conductas de salud (comer mejor, ser más activo, dejar el tabaco y dormir bien) y cuatro factores de salud (controlar el peso, controlar el colesterol, controlar el azúcar en sangre y controlar la presión arterial) que son medidas clave para mejorar y mantener la salud cardiovascular.

“Integrar los elementos de la guía alimentaria del 2026 en su vida diaria es un excelente primer paso hacia la reducción y, más importante, la prevención del riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas y de ataque o derrame cerebral para usted y su familia durante los próximos años”, expresó.

Más allá de la salud cardiovascular

La guía alimentaria del 2026 proporciona beneficios adicionales, más allá de la ayuda a la salud cardiovascular.

Un patrón alimentario cardiosaludable también proporciona una combinación de alimentos y bebidas que:

• Cumplen con los requerimientos nutricionales fundamentales de la mayoría de las personas en cuanto a las vitaminas y los minerales cruciales y otros componentes que promueven la salud. Esto significa que la mayoría de las personas no necesitarían calcular que proporción de cada nutriente está presente en su dieta o sus suplementos alimenticios, con posibles excepciones como mujeres embarazadas, adultos mayores y quienes sigan dietas restrictivas.
• Son ricos en fibras saludables que provienen de las verduras, las frutas, los granos integrales, los frutos secos, las semillas y las legumbres, incluidos los frijoles, las arvejas y las lentejas.
• Limita la cantidad de alimentos con colesterol alimentario alto mediante el reemplazo de las carnes grasosas y procesadas por fuentes de proteína vegetal o magra, además de la sustitución de los lácteos enteros por lácteos descremados o semidescremados, mientras se permite el consumo de huevos moderadamente.
• Ayudan a que se mantenga el consumo de grasas saturadas diarios en un 10% o menos de las calorías diarias.

Aunque la guía actualizada está específicamente diseñada para mejorar la salud cardiovascular, por lo general, coincide con las recomendaciones alimentarias para otras afecciones como la diabetes tipo 2, las enfermedades renales, algunos tipos cáncer y el bienestar del cerebro. Esto se debe en gran medida a los factores de riesgo que repercuten en la salud física y la salud cognitiva, como la presión arterial alta, el colesterol alto, el nivel alto de azúcar en la sangre, el exceso de peso y la insuficiencia renal; todos se ven impactados por la alimentación.

“Lo que ingrese en su cuerpo tendrá repercusiones importantes en cómo funciona y cambia a medida que envejece”, mencionó Lichtenstein. “Un patrón alimentario saludable puede favorecer la salud y el bienestar a lo largo de la vida, más allá de la salud cardiovascular”.

Abordando el problema

La American Heart Association continúa abordando de manera enérgica la raíz de la mala alimentación, incluida la inseguridad alimentaria, a través del apoyo de políticas públicas basadas en la evidencia, inversiones en la comunidad e innovaciones en el cuidado de la salud. Las iniciativas específicas son las que se mencionan a continuación:

• Informar la definición de comidas ultraprocesadas aplicado como política pública.
• Apoyar el desarrollo de un sistema de etiquetado nutricional en la parte frontal y un ícono “saludable” en el empaquetado de alimentos.
• Esfuerzos de apoyo a nivel federal, estatal y local con el objetivo de promover el acceso de alimentos saludables y desalentar el consumo de bebidas azucaradas (sitio web en inglés) para mejorar la igualdad alimentaria.
• Promover el aumento de fondos para la investigación de ciencias de la nutrición, como estudios sobre el uso de los alimentos como medicina en Los Institutos Nacionales de la Salud.
• A través de la iniciativa Health Care by Food™ (sitio web en inglés) y de The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)^® (sitio web en inglés), la Asociación está mejorando su comprensión del papel fundamental que la alimentación saludable tiene en la prevención y el tratamiento de enfermedades crónicas.
• La Asociación está expandiendo su impacto a nivel comunitario e invirtiendo en organizaciones locales a través de Social Impact Fund de la American Heart Association, como el Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund (sitio web en inglés), para aumentar el acceso a alimentos saludables y económicos en comunidades con pocos recursos.‑

“Juntos, estos esfuerzos complementan la nueva guía alimentaria de la Asociación que ayuda a que más personas puedan acceder de manera constante a alimentos saludables y beneficiarse de una dieta cardiosaludable”, indicó Khera.

A fin de obtener más información sobre una alimentación saludable para el corazón y el cerebro, visite heart.org/healthydiet y hable con su proveedor de cuidados de salud sobre qué es lo mejor en su caso.

Un grupo de redacción voluntario preparó esta declaración científica en nombre de la American Heart Association. Las declaraciones científicas de la American Heart Association promueven una mayor conciencia sobre los problemas causados por las enfermedades cardiovasculares y los ataques o derrames cerebrales, y ayudan a facilitar las decisiones fundamentadas sobre los cuidados de salud. En las declaraciones científicas, se describe lo que se conoce actualmente sobre un tema y las áreas que necesitan investigación adicional. Si bien en las declaraciones científicas se informa el desarrollo de las pautas, no constituyen recomendaciones de tratamiento. Las pautas de la American Heart Association proporcionan las recomendaciones oficiales de la práctica clínica de la Asociación.

Los coautores son Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA; Lawrence J. Appel, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA; Dana M. DeSilva, Ph.D., R.D.; Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., FAHA; Frank B. Hu, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA; Daniel W. Jones, M.D., FAHA y Kristina S. Petersen, Ph.D., FAHA. Las declaraciones de los autores se encuentran en el artículo.

La Asociación recibe más de un 85% de sus ingresos de fuentes que no son empresas. Estas fuentes incluyen contribuciones de personas particulares, fundaciones y patrimonios, así como ganancias por inversiones e ingresos por la venta de nuestros materiales informativos. Las empresas (incluidas las farmacéuticas, los fabricantes de dispositivos y otras compañías) también realizan donaciones a la Asociación. La Asociación tiene políticas estrictas para evitar que las donaciones influyan en el contenido científico y en las posturas de sus políticas. La información financiera general está disponible aquí (sitio web en inglés).

Más de 8 de cada 10 adultos (un 82%) en EE. UU. confían en que la American Heart Association proporciona información confiable sobre salud pública, según una reciente encuesta del Annenberg Policy Center (sitio web en inglés). La Asociación se ubicó en el segundo lugar, solo después de un proveedor de cuidados de salud de cada persona.

Recursos adicionales:

• Vídeos de entrevistas con la Dr. Josiemer Mattei la presidenta electa voluntaria del comité de nutrición de la Asociación y más contenido multimedia encuentran en la columna derecha del vínculo del comunicado.
• Comunicado de prensa en inglés
• Después de las 4 a. m. CT/5 a. m. ET, martes 31 de marzo del 2026, consulte el artículo en línea (sitio web en inglés).
• Información de salud de la American Heart Association: Alimentación saludable
• Información de la salud de la American Heart Association: Revise estas recetas saludables y deliciosas que hacen que comer sano sea fácil y agradable
• Declaración científica de la American Heart Association: El exceso de alimentos ultraprocesados (UPF, por sus siglas en inglés) y la mala nutrición se relacionan con una salud deficiente
• Comunicado de prensa de la American Heart Association: Nuevas guías alimentarias resaltan la importancia de la alimentación saludable | American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés)
• Siga las noticias de la American Heart Association/American Stroke Association en X en @HeartNews
• Siga las noticias de Circulation, la principal revista científica de la American Heart Association en X en @CircAHA.

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Acerca de la American Heart Association

La American Heart Association es una fuerza incansable para un mundo de vidas más largas y saludables. La organización ha sido una fuente líder de información sobre salud durante más de cien años y su objetivo es garantizar la equidad en la salud en todas las comunidades. Con el apoyo de más de 35 millones de voluntarios en todo el mundo, financiamos investigaciones vanguardistas, defendemos la salud pública y proporcionamos recursos fundamentales para salvar y mejorar vidas afectadas por enfermedades cardiovasculares y ataques o derrames cerebrales. Trabajamos incansablemente para hacer avanzar la salud y transformar vidas cada día mediante el impulso de avances y la implementación de soluciones comprobadas en las áreas de ciencia, políticas y cuidados.  Comuníquese con nosotros en heart.org (sitio web en inglés), Facebook o X, o llame al 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Para consultas de los medios de comunicación: 214-706-1173

Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org 

Para consultas públicas: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org y derramecerebral.org

Research Highlights:

• People born to mothers where the birth included a placental abruption (placenta separates from the uterus before delivery) may have a higher risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease than those whose birth did not have this complication.
• People born to mothers who had a placental abruption are about three times more likely to be hospitalized for cardiovascular disease by the age of 28, and about 4.6 times as likely to die from a cardiovascular event in that timeframe, compared to people born to mothers with pregnancies that were not complicated by placental abruption.
• Researchers say that placental abruption is a serious and underappreciated pregnancy complication, and children born to mothers who had this issue should be monitored for heart and stroke-related conditions as they grow up.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, March 25, 2026

DALLAS, March 25, 2026 — The risk of developing early cardiovascular disease or dying from cardiovascular disease by the age of 28 was about 4.6 times higher among people born to mothers who had a placental abruption during their pregnancy. This finding was compared to people whose birth did not have this complication, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Placental abruption occurs when the placenta separates from the uterus before birth rather than after delivery, and this can lead to severe hemorrhaging or other serious complications for the mother and baby. According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, most studies have reported an incidence of 0.5% to 1% for placental abruption in the general population.

“Our study suggests that placental abruption needs to be taken as a very serious complication for the mother and also potentially affecting the baby’s cardiovascular health later in life,” said study lead author Cande Ananth, Ph.D., M.P.H., chief of the division of epidemiology and biostatistics in the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. “Most treatments after a placental abruption focus on following the mother after a pregnancy complication. Our study shows it is important that their children are also monitored to identify potential complications due to their increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Having cardio-obstetrics working together with pediatric programs in medical schools and hospitals will be important to provide support and monitor the health of these mothers after delivery and their babies as they grow up.”

This study examined whether a mother’s placental abruption may be linked to the child’s risk of heart and stroke conditions and death from heart disease and stroke over about three decades.

The study reported that:

• Out of nearly 3 million pregnancies, approximately 1% (n = 28,641) were affected by placental abruption.
• During a 28-year follow-up period, children born to mothers who had a placental abruption during the pregnancy were 4.6 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than children born to mothers who experienced a normal placental separation from the uterus after delivery.
• Children born to mothers who had a placental abruption faced nearly three times higher risk of being hospitalized for heart-related complications during the next 28 years. These conditions included heart failure, ischemic heart disease, heart attack, blocked arteries and general cardiovascular disease.
• The children’s risk of stroke hospitalization was 2.4 times higher than for children whose mothers did not have a placental abruption.
• These heart disease and stroke risks associated with abruption were even higher among children younger than 1 year old.

The association between placental abruption and increased cardiovascular risk remained similar after conducting an additional analysis contrasting cardiovascular disease risks between biological siblings (each mother served as their own control), suggesting that genetic and environmental factors did not explain this relationship.

“Placental abruption is a sudden and often catastrophic event that cannot be prevented and comes with no warning. Older women or those expecting more than one baby, such as twins or triplets, have an increased risk of developing this condition. Health care professionals should support patients in maintaining a healthy lifestyle to protect their own health and their baby’s. Avoiding smoking, drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs (particularly, cocaine) and maintaining good blood pressure control are also important, as they are linked to placental abruption,” Ananth said.

“We know that women who have complications during pregnancy are often at higher risk for heart disease and stroke, and that’s why the American Heart Association recommends closely monitoring these women, especially in the first three months to a year after birth,” said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. “The findings of this study reinforce that it is also important to monitor their babies for risks and identify opportunities to reduce the potential impact these complications may have on them not only right after birth, but throughout their lifetime.” Rosen, who was not involved in this study, is also executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health and senior vice president of women’s health at Northwell Health in New York City.

More research is needed to understand how placental abruption affects heart health in the children born from those pregnancies, according to the study authors. This study is among the first to find a link between cardiovascular risk in kids born to mothers with placental abruption. However, the findings are limited because the study is an analysis of hospital and death records; therefore, researchers cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Study details, background and design:

• This analysis is a study that looks back at past data. Researchers reviewed data from the Placental Abruption and Cardiovascular Event Risk (PACER) project, along with hospitalization and mortality records, to analyze roughly 3 million births in New Jersey from 1993 to 2020, focusing on mothers who had a placental abruption during pregnancy and the babies born to those pregnancies. This study focuses solely on single-baby births.
• Out of 2,949,992 pregnancies in the analysis, 1% (28,641 pregnancies) experienced placental abruption.
• The researchers followed the offspring for up to 28 years after their birth, reviewing hospital records and mortality records from the birth of the offspring to nonfatal cardiovascular-related hospitalization; birth to death from any cause; and nonfatal cardiovascular hospitalization to death from any cause.

Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the manuscript.

Studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of release link.
• After March 25, view the manuscript online.
• American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Prevention and Treatment of Maternal Stroke in Pregnancy and Postpartum (Jan. 2026)
• American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Heart disease risk factors in women highlight need for increased awareness, prevention (Feb. 2024)
• American Heart Association news release: Improving & maintaining heart health after pregnancy may reduce the risk of future CVD (March 2024)
• American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Six pregnancy complications are among red flags for heart disease later in life (March 2021)
• Pregnancy and Maternal Health Resources and Tools | Go Red for Women
• Follow American Heart Association/American Stroke Association news on X @HeartNews
• Follow news from the Journal of the American Heart Association @JAHA_AHA

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and AHA/ASA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173

Karen Astle: Karen.Astle@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

DALLAS, March 23, 2026 — Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, or ATTR‑CM, is a serious and often underdiagnosed condition caused by abnormal protein buildup that prevents the left ventricle from relaxing and filling properly, impairing the heart’s ability to pump blood. When left untreated, the disease can lead to heart failure and significantly shorten life expectancy.

To overcome gaps in how this condition is identified and treated, the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, has launched a nationwide effort to strengthen the system of care for people living with ATTR-CM. The quality improvement initiative, financially supported by Alnylam, is designed to improve early diagnosis and coordination of care, ultimately enhancing the patient experience.

Early recognition and diagnosis of ATTR-CM is critical, as timely care gives patients access to treatments that can extend survival, preserve physical function and maintain quality of life. As awareness of ATTR-CM grows and treatment options continue to advance, patients increasingly need coordinated, specialist-led care. However, building and sustaining these multidisciplinary systems remains challenging for many health care centers.

“ATTR-CM is a life-threatening condition that is too often recognized late, when current disease modifying therapy is less effective,” said Mat Maurer, M.D., volunteer member of the American Heart Association’s ATTR Amyloidosis Strategic Advisory Group  and professor of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City. “By bringing multidisciplinary teams together to examine the full patient journey — from diagnosis through long-term management — this new initiative is helping identify practical, scalable approaches that can support earlier recognition, more coordinated care and better outcomes for people living with this disease.”

The three-year effort brings together a cohort of 10 multidisciplinary health care teams from across the country in a learning collaborative designed to better understand and improve ATTR-CM care pathways. The initiative focuses on the full patient journey — from diagnosis and referral through treatment and follow-up — with the goal of identifying successful, replicable models of care that can drive change nationwide.

Through shared learning and collaboration, participating sites will work to gain insights into current ATTR-CM practice pathways and amplify approaches that improve coordination of care, support earlier identification and strengthen long-term management for people living with ATTR-CM. By uncovering gaps in care and uniting experts across medical specialties, the initiative aims to help build a more integrated system that improves outcomes for patients nationwide.

“As awareness of ATTR-CM grows and treatment options continue to advance, it is essential that patients have access to well-coordinated, specialist-led care,” said Sameer Bansilal, M.D., M.S., cardiologist and vice president, Global TTR Medical lead, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. “We are proud to support the American Heart Association’s new ATTR-CM initiative and its focus on understanding gaps in care, sharing successful models and strengthening systems that can improve the experience and outcomes for people affected by this devastating disease.”

For more information about the ATTR-CM initiative and to see a list of participating health care centers, visit heart.org/ATTRCMDiscovery.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of the release link.
• American Heart Association Support Network | Cardiomyopathy
• Transthyretin Amyloidosis (ATTR) for Professionals - Professional Heart Daily
• Extra-Cardiac Clues to Amyloidosis | Professional Education Hub
• Follow AHA/ASA news on X @HeartNews

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173

Michelle Rosenfeld: michelle.rosenfeld@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

Puntos destacados de la investigación:

• Según un análisis de los datos de salud de Project Viva, un estudio a largo plazo sobre la salud de las mujeres y los niños en el este de Massachusetts, si los adolescentes sustituyeran 30 minutos de tiempo sedentario al día por dormir o realizar actividad física de moderada a intensa, podrían reducir su resistencia a la insulina y, por lo tanto, el riesgo de padecer diabetes tipo 2.
• Sustituir 30 minutos de tiempo sedentario al día por dormir o realizar actividad física de moderada a intensa redujo una estimación de la resistencia a la insulina en casi el 15%.
• Las iniciativas de salud pública para promover la actividad física o el sueño en lugar de las actividades sedentarias podrían ayudar a mantener la salud cardiometabólica entre los adolescentes de EE. UU.
• Nota: El estudio que se presenta en este comunicado de prensa es un resumen de investigación. Los resúmenes que se presentan en las reuniones científicas de la American Heart Association (Asociación American del Corazón) no son revisados por expertos, y los hallazgos se consideran preliminares hasta que se publiquen como un artículo completo en una revista profesional científica revisada por expertos.

Prohibida su divulgación hasta las 1:30 p. m., ET / 12:30 p. m., CT del viernes 20 de marzo del 2026

BOSTON, 20 de marzo del 2026 — Los adolescentes que sustituyeron solo media hora de comportamientos sedentarios, como sentarse en el sofá o pasar tiempo frente a la computadora, cada día por actividad física de moderada a intensa o dormir, pueden reducir su resistencia a la insulina, un factor clave para prevenir la diabetes tipo 2, según una investigación preliminar presentada en las Sesiones Científicas EPI|Lifestyle del 2026 de la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés). La reunión se lleva a cabo en Boston, del 17 al 20 de marzo del 2026, y ofrece los últimos avances científicos sobre salud poblacional, epidemiología, prevención, estilo de vida y salud cardiometabólica.

“Me sorprendió gratamente la fuerza de la asociación entre sustituir 30 minutos de sedentarismo por actividad física de moderada a intensa: una reducción del 15% en la resistencia a la insulina es un cambio bastante significativo”, afirma Soren Harnois-Leblanc, Ph.D., R.D., autora principal del estudio e investigadora posdoctoral en el Departamento de Medicina Poblacional del Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute y de la Facultad de Medicina de Harvard, ambos en Boston. “Nuestros hallazgos indican que pasar de comportamientos sedentarios a una actividad física de moderada a intensa o dormir, aunque solo sean unos minutos al día al principio, era beneficioso para la salud”.

Para evaluar el impacto de las actividades diarias habituales en el desarrollo de la resistencia a la insulina en los adolescentes, los investigadores examinaron los datos de salud de Project Viva, un estudio en curso respecto a la salud de niños nacidos en el período 1999-2002 y sus madres. La resistencia a la insulina se midió utilizando el modelo homeostático de evaluación de la resistencia a la insulina (HOMA-IR, por sus siglas en inglés), una prueba que estima la resistencia a la insulina basándose en los niveles de glucemia e insulina en sangre en ayunas. En la primera etapa de la adolescencia, con una edad promedio de casi 13 años, 802 participantes llevaron registros de sueño y usaron un acelerómetro (un sensor que cuantifica las aceleraciones del movimiento, a partir del cual los investigadores pueden deducir la intensidad y la duración de la actividad física) de forma constante durante entre 7 y 10 días, lo que proporcionó un desglose de las actividades de movimiento que realizaban durante un período típico de 24 horas.

Con diferencia, el mayor porcentaje del tiempo diario, el 48% u 11.5 horas al día, se dedicaba a actividades sedentarias. Algunos ejemplos de tiempo sedentario pueden ser estar sentado en clase, hacer las tareas, desplazarse a la escuela y el tiempo libre por la noche, que a menudo se dedica a mirar pantallas de dispositivos electrónicos o ver la televisión.

Otras actividades diarias, registradas durante un período de 24 horas, incluyeron dormir (un 33%), actividad física de baja intensidad (como caminar de manera casual, un 17%) y actividad física de intensidad de moderada a intensa (como correr o nadar, un 2%).

A continuación, los investigadores calcularon en qué medida un cambio de tan solo 30 minutos de actividad sedentaria a diversos tipos de actividad física o dormir podría haber influido en los niveles estimados de resistencia a la insulina en 394 de los participantes en el estudio.

Los hallazgos del estudio fueron los que se indican a continuación:

• Los adolescentes que sustituyeron 30 minutos de sedentarismo por actividad física de moderada a intensa (como correr, nadar o jugar al baloncesto) pudieron reducir la resistencia a la insulina, o disminuir su puntuación HOMA IR, en casi un 15%.
• Los participantes que cambiaron 30 minutos de tiempo sedentario por dormir pudieron reducir la resistencia a la insulina en casi un 5%.
• Cambiar 30 minutos de tiempo sedentario por actividad física de baja intensidad (como caminar) no supuso un cambio significativo en los niveles de resistencia a la insulina.
• Si bien la composición de la actividad se asoció a la resistencia a la insulina, no se asoció a los niveles de adiponectina (una hormona producida por las células grasas) ni con los niveles de glucosa en ayunas (una medida que se utiliza frecuentemente para diagnosticar la prediabetes y la diabetes tipo 2).

“Este estudio indica que los adolescentes pasan gran parte del día de forma sedentaria y solo una pequeña parte del tiempo realizan actividad física”, indicó el Dr. Kershaw Patel, voluntario de la American Heart Association y presidente electo del Consejo de Epidemiología y Prevención de la Asociación. “Curiosamente, los adolescentes que realizaban una actividad física de moderada a intensa en la primera etapa de la adolescencia mostraban señales de menor resistencia a la insulina más adelante. La conclusión principal es que llevar una vida activa desde una edad temprana puede marcar una gran diferencia para la salud a largo plazo”. Patel, que no participó en este estudio, es profesor adjunto de cardiología en el DeBakey Heart & Vascular Institute del Houston Methodist Hospital, en Houston.

Las métricas de las Life’s Essential 8 de la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés) para una salud cardiovascular óptima incluyen estrategias para incorporar un estilo de vida saludable en la vida cotidiana. Por ejemplo, atenuar las luces antes de acostarse, crear una rutina nocturna que no incluya dispositivos electrónicos con pantallas y poner el teléfono en modo “no molestar” (o dejarlo fuera del dormitorio mientras se duerme) puede ayudar a mejorar la calidad y la cantidad del sueño. Integrar las actividades físicas en el tiempo social con amigos, para despejar la mente o reducir el estrés, puede hacer que las caminatas u otros ejercicios sean más atractivos que las actividades sedentarias.

Aunque en el estudio no se encontró una relación entre dedicar más tiempo a la actividad física ligera y una menor resistencia a la insulina, los investigadores instan a realizar más investigaciones sobre este tema.                               

“Dedicar más tiempo a la actividad física ligera puede ser beneficioso para prevenir las enfermedades cardiometabólicas en adultos. La actividad física ligera es un objetivo interesante porque probablemente sea más fácil de integrar en las rutinas diarias”, mencionó Harnois-Leblanc.

El presente estudio tuvo algunas limitaciones, entre ellas que solo se disponía de información sobre la resistencia a la insulina en etapas finales de la adolescencia del 49% de los participantes cuyos datos de acelerómetro se habían recopilado en la primera etapa de la adolescencia. Además, este análisis de datos y estudio de modelización predictiva no permite demostrar la relación causa-efecto entre las actividades diarias y la resistencia a la insulina.

Detalles, antecedentes y diseño del estudio:

• El estudio incluyó información sobre la salud de 802 participantes, de entre 12 y 17 años, nacidos entre los años 1999 y 2002 en el este de Massachusetts, y que participaban en Project Viva, un estudio en curso destinado a mejorar la salud de los niños y sus madres.
• El 52% de los participantes era mujer, el 64% se identificaba como blanco no hispano, el 15% se identificaba como negro no hispano y el 9% se identificaba como hispano.
• Participantes en la primera etapa de la adolescencia (edad promedio de 12.9 años) llevaron un acelerómetro en la muñeca durante un período de entre 7 y 10 días consecutivos y completaron registros de sueño, lo que permitió a los investigadores calcular la cantidad promedio de minutos de cada período de 24 horas que se dedicaban a dormir frente al tiempo sedentario frente a la actividad física ligera frente a la actividad física de moderada a intensa.
• En las etapas finales de la adolescencia (edad promedio de 17.5 años), se realizaron análisis de sangre en ayunas a 394 participantes con datos de acelerómetros para calcular los niveles de adiponectina (una hormona producida por las células grasas), glucosa (azúcar) e insulina. Se utilizaron los niveles de glucosa e insulina en ayunas para calcular el HOMA-IR, con el fin de ayudar a estimar el riesgo de progresar a diabetes tipo 2.
• Los investigadores utilizaron un método estadístico denominado análisis de datos composicionales para examinar la distribución de cuatro tipos de actividades físicas en un período de 24 horas. A continuación, utilizaron modelos para estimar cómo las sustituciones de 30 minutos de un comportamiento por otro podrían influir en los resultados de las pruebas en las etapas finales de la adolescencia. Los resultados se ajustaron según la edad, el sexo, la estación del año en la que los participantes llevaron el acelerómetro, el nivel educativo de la madre y los ingresos familiares.

Los coautores, las divulgaciones y las fuentes de financiamiento se indican en el resumen. 

Las afirmaciones y conclusiones de los estudios que se presentan en las reuniones científicas de la American Heart Association/American Stroke Association son exclusivas de los autores de estos estudios y no constituyen necesariamente la política ni la posición de la Asociación. La Asociación no ofrece ninguna declaración ni garantía de ningún tipo en cuanto a su exactitud o confiabilidad. Los resúmenes que se presentan en las reuniones científicas de la Asociación no son revisados por expertos, sino que los paneles de revisión independientes los seleccionan y consideran en función del potencial que tengan de ser un aporte a la diversidad de temas y opiniones científicos analizados en la reunión. Los hallazgos se consideran preliminares hasta que se publiquen como un artículo completo en una revista profesional científica revisada por expertos.

La Asociación recibe más de un 85% de sus ingresos de fuentes que no son empresas. Estas fuentes incluyen contribuciones de personas particulares, fundaciones y patrimonios, así como ganancias por inversiones e ingresos por la venta de nuestros materiales informativos. Las empresas (incluidas las farmacéuticas, los fabricantes de dispositivos y otras compañías) también realizan donaciones a la Asociación. La Asociación tiene políticas estrictas para evitar que las donaciones influyan en el contenido científico y en las posturas de sus políticas. La información financiera general está disponible aquí (sitio web en inglés).

Recursos adicionales:

Research Highlights:

• If adolescents replaced 30 minutes of sedentary time each day with sleep or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, it may reduce their insulin resistance and thus reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of health data from Project Viva, a long-term study of the health of women and children in Eastern Massachusetts.
• Substituting 30 minutes per day of sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduced a measurement of insulin resistance by nearly 15%.
• Public health initiatives to promote physical activity or sleep rather than sedentary activities could help preserve cardiometabolic health among teens in the U.S.
• Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Embargoed until 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT, Friday, March 20, 2026

Boston, March 20, 2026 — Adolescents who replaced just half an hour of sedentary behaviors, such as sitting on the couch or spending time at the computer, each day for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or sleep may lower their insulin resistance, a key factor in preventing the development of Type 2 diabetes, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting is in Boston, March 17-20, 2026, and offers the latest epidemiological science on prevention, lifestyle and cardiometabolic health.

“I was happily surprised with the strength of the association of replacing 30 minutes of sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity—a 15% lower insulin resistance is quite a big change,” said Soren Harnois-Leblanc, Ph.D., R.D., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in the department of population medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston. “Our findings mean that switching from sedentary behaviors to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or sleep, even if it is only a few minutes per day to start, was beneficial for health.”

To assess the impact of typical daily activities on the development of insulin resistance in teenagers, investigators examined health data from Project Viva, an ongoing health study of children born between 1999-2002 and their mothers. Insulin resistance was measured using Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), a test that estimates insulin resistance based on fasting blood glucose and insulin levels. In early adolescence, at an average of nearly 13 years old, 802 participants kept sleep logs and wore an accelerometer (a sensor that quantifies movement accelerations, from which researchers can derive the intensity and duration of physical activity) constantly for 7-10 days, providing a breakdown of the movement activities they engaged in over a typical 24 hours.

By far, the highest percentage of daily time, 48% or 11.5 hours per day, was spent in sedentary activities. Examples of sedentary time may include sitting in class, doing homework, commuting and downtime in the evening, which often comes with screen time on an electronic device or watching TV.

Other daily activities, reported over a 24-hour period, included sleep (33%), low-intensity physical activity (such as casual walking, 17%), and moderate-vigorous physical activity (such as running, swimming or playing basketball, 2%).

The researchers then calculated how much a shift of just 30 minutes from sedentary activity to various types of physical activity or sleep could have impacted estimated insulin resistance levels in 394 of the study participants.

Among the study findings:

• Adolescents who replaced 30 minutes of sedentary time with moderate-vigorous physical activity could lower a measurement of insulin resistance, or lowering their HOMA IR score, by nearly 15%;
• Participants who exchanged 30 minutes of sedentary time with sleep could lower insulin resistance by nearly 5%;
• Shifting 30 minutes of sedentary time to low-intensity physical activity did not have a significant change in insulin resistance levels.
• While activity composition was associated with insulin resistance, it was not associated with levels of adiponectin (a hormone produced by fat cells) or fasting glucose levels (a measure used to diagnose prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes).

“This study shows that young adolescents spend a lot of their day being sedentary and only a small amount of time being physically active,” said Kershaw Patel, M.D., an American Heart Association volunteer and chair elect of the Association’s Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. “Interestingly, teens who had more moderate to vigorous physical activity early in adolescence showed signs of lower insulin resistance later on. The big takeaway is being active early in life can really make a difference for long‑term health.” Patel, who was not involved in this study, is an assistant professor of cardiology at Houston Methodist Hospital’s DeBakey Heart & Vascular Institute in Houston.

The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 metrics for optimal cardiovascular health includes strategies for incorporating healthy lifestyle into daily life. For example, dimming lights before bedtime, creating a nighttime routine that doesn’t include electronic devices with screens and putting the phone on “do not disturb” (or leaving it outside the bedroom while sleeping) can help to improve quality and quantity of sleep. Integrating physical activities with social time with friends, to clear your mind or reduce stress can make hikes or other exercise more appealing than sedentary activities.

While the study did not find an association between more time spent in light physical activity and lower insulin resistance, the investigators urge additional research on this topic.                                  

“More time spent in light physical activity may be beneficial to prevent cardiometabolic disease in adults. Light physical activity is an interesting target because it is likely easier to integrate into everyday routines,” said Harnois-Leblanc.

The current study had some limitations, including that insulin resistance information in late adolescence was available for only 49% of participants who had accelerometer data collected in early adolescence. Additionally, cause-and-effect for daily activities and insulin resistance cannot be proven by this data analysis.

Study details, background and design:

• The study included health information for 802 participants, ages 12-17, who were born between 1999-2002 in Eastern Massachusetts, and who were enrolled in Project Viva, an ongoing study aimed at improving the health of children and their mothers.
• 52% of participants were female, 64% were self-identified as non-Hispanic white, 15% self-identified as non-Hispanic Black and 9% self-identified as Hispanic.
• Participants in early adolescence (median age of 12.9 years) wore a wrist accelerometer for 7-10 consecutive days and completed sleep logs, allowing researchers to calculate the average number of minutes in each 24-hour period were spent sleeping vs. sedentary time vs. light physical activity vs. moderate to vigorous physical activity.
• In late adolescence (median age of 17.5 years), 394 participants with accelerometer data had fasting blood level tests collected to measure levels of adiponectin (a hormone produced by fat cells), glucose (sugar) and insulin. Fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels were used to calculate HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance that informs on the risk of progressing to Type 2 diabetes.
• Investigators used a statistical method called compositional data analysis to examine the distribution of 4 types of physical activities within a 24-hour period. They then used modeling to estimate how 30-minute substitutions from one behavior to another could affect test results in later adolescence. Results were adjusted for age, sex, the season in which the participants wore the accelerometer, mother’s educational level and family income.

Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the abstract. 

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

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Additional Resources:

The American Heart Association’s EPI|LIFESTYLE Scientific Sessions is the world’s premier meeting dedicated to the latest advances in population-based science. The meeting is Tuesday-Friday, March 17-20, 2026, in Boston. The primary goal of the meeting is to promote the development and application of translational and population science to prevent heart disease and stroke and foster cardiovascular health. The sessions focus on risk factors, obesity, nutrition, physical activity, genetics, metabolism, biomarkers, subclinical disease, clinical disease, healthy populations, global health and prevention-oriented clinical trials. The Councils on Epidemiology and Prevention and Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health (Lifestyle) jointly planned the EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026. Follow the conference on X at #EPILifestyle26.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

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