American Heart Association

Guiding our mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives is a new 100-year vision: Advancing health and hope for everyone, everywhere.

Since our founding on June 10, 1924, AHA-funded science, advocacy, education and outreach have transformed the way the world understands, treats and prevents cardiovascular disease and stroke.

What We Do: To improve the lives of all Americans, we provide public health education in a variety of ways. We are creating avenues for greater access to care, healthy food access and education, building a network of first responders through CPR kits in schools, blood pressure screenings and education, and tobacco and e-cigarette education and prevention,

We're the nation's leader in CPR education training. We help people understand the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. We provide science-based treatment guidelines to healthcare professionals to help ensure the best treatment for every patient, every time. We educate lawmakers, policy makers and the public as we advocate for changes to protect and improve the health of our communities.

Testimonials

Why We're Needed: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans. Stroke ranks fourth and is a leading cause of severe adult disability.

Each year, these diseases kill more than 811,000 Americans, which is roughly the same as the entire population of El Paso, Texas; Baton Rouge, La.; or Tacoma, Wash.

Together, we are building toward the AHA's second lifesaving century when we aim to remove barriers to better health and end cardiovascular disease and stroke.