DALLAS, November 12, 2020— The American Heart Association is recognizing 428 outpatient clinics for efforts surrounding cholesterol education and management for patients out of 1,300 participating organizations nationwide.

The American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization dedicated to building longer, healthier lives, created the Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™ initiative with national support from Amgen to improve awareness, detection and management of high cholesterol for consumers, patients and health care professionals.

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, the number one and number five killers in the U.S. respectively[1]. The Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol program supports physicians and care teams by offering access to the latest research, tools and resources to reach and sustain cholesterol control rates among the adult patient population that they serve.

“This program helps practices access the latest science and guidelines quickly so they can advise patients and work collaboratively to develop a treatment plan. High cholesterol continues to be one of the major risk factors for heart disease, yet remains undertreated,” said James Langabeer, Ph.D., FAHA, chair of the American Heart Association’s Ambulatory Quality Improvement Advisory Group and professor and vice chair of emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), McGovern Medical School. “We are so glad to see many dedicated professionals join this initiative to prioritize cholesterol management in their practices and ultimately improve heart health across the nation.”

The organizations being recognized as “Gold Award” organizations have fulfilled the participation award criteria and have 70% or more of their adult, at-risk ASCVD patient population appropriately managed with statin therapy based on the MIPS measure #438 in 2019.

The “Participant Award” recognizes practices that commit to improving ASCVD risk assessment and submitted data on appropriate statin therapy.

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas -based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries: (214) 706-4855

Karen Springs, karen.springs@heart.org

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