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Cigarettes, cigars, and the new flavored tobacco that’s recently become the rage among kids, are all addictive products. We were happy with the Legislature’s recent move to increase taxes on tobacco. Raising prices on these dangerous tobacco products is an extremely smart public policy and...

About 795,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means, on average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds. Last year, many of the Americans who suffered a stroke did not get the right lifesaving treatment in time. For Stroke Month, we wanted to pass along information that can help...

We are looking for passionate advocates for our upcoming Heart on the Hill Event. Do you have a CPR, AED or Critical Congenital Heart personal story? Are you a medical professional who is an expert on these issues? Are you a heart survivor? We would love to have you participate in our Heart on the Hill...

Last week the House debated the State Budget; this is the second step in a long budget process. We knew it was going to be a tough budget year so we were not successful in everything but we were able to make some key investments in public health and access to care that we believe will make a difference...

Every single day, all over the country, lives are saved and improved because of you, because you are a committed, talented and passionate volunteer. I always say I have the best volunteers and I couldn’t mean it more. I could not do my job without you, the volunteers. You take the time to advocate...

Yesterday, we experienced a horrific tragedy with the attacks on the 117th Boston Marathon. I am confident in the resiliency and strength of Massachusetts and its residents and I know we will overcome this tragedy. As some of you know we have a team of dedicated runners as part of Tedy’s Team,...

In a recent report, Massachusetts was one of the least likely states in the nation to be obese in 2012. Colorado is the only state where less than 20% of adults are obese and are right ahead of Massachusetts. West Virginia - also for a third year in a row -- is the state with the highest obesity rate...

Last night, Monday, March 25 th the American Heart Association teamed up with the Boston Bruins to host the 7th Annual Heart Health Awareness Night. We were able to bring messaging about heart health and the importance of learning CPR to all the fans. We even taught Blades, the Bruins mascot how easy...

Yesterday was Kick Butts Day and we had over 200 youth come to the State House to talk to their legislators about the tactics the industry uses to hook them on tobacco. Their solution? Make these tobacco products more expensive. We agree! We want to see an increase of a $1.25 on the tobacco tax and make...

More than 400 students at Coolidge Middle School received a surprise visit from Boston Celtic center Chris Wilcox on Thursday as part of the school’s 5 th Annual Hoops for Heart championship game celebration. The students were amongst thousands of participants across the state playing basketball...

When you go out to eat would it make a difference to you if the calories were on the menu? Would it make you choose different items then you do now? A new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded report from the Hudson Institute is out and says that in 17 of 21 restaurant chains that the lower-calorie...

You might have seen the news story last week on tobacco companies adding kitty litter to their little cigars so they can evade taxes and flavor bans. Cats everywhere are outraged. Humans everywhere should be disgusted. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids have created a tumblr account to show the absurdity...

Often viewed as a problem of adults, cardiovascular disease also exacts a terrible toll on the young. Congenital heart defects are the No. 1 birth defect in the U.S. and the No. 1 killer of infants with birth defects. Pulse ox, a low-cost, non-invasive device that tests patients' blood oxygen levels...

As Heart Month and Black History Month come to a close it is a good time to remind you about the risks for heart disease in African Americans. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in women, and stroke disproportionately affects African Americans. Importantly, African American women are less likely than...

Have you ever wondered what are the policies that the American Heart/Stroke Association works on? There is a great new resource that will answer that very question. Our policy research department has created a "Policy Report" that provides all of our policy position statements “at...

February is American Heart Month, and it is the perfect time to protect your heart health. According to Joy Bauer, a health and nutrition expert for the Today Show, that means knowing which foods to limit, and which to embrace. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglycerides can have severe...

Is it cruel fate that brings together American Heart Month and Valentine's Day? In a month devoted to heart health and candy hearts, how can we celebrate both at the same time? The American Heart Association is pleased to say that you can enjoy both. You can enjoy an occasional treat, in moderation...

Join our Go Red Social Media Party tomorrow from 11 a.m. to noon! We will be tweeting and posting to Facebook from our social media suite at the Boston Go Red Luncheon. Joy Bauer, author and resident nutrition expert at the TODAY Show, will be our special guest and we will be giving away great Go Red...

Yesterday the State House helped us Go Red for the 10th year in a row. We have been really fortunate to have the continued support from the Caucus of Woman Legislators, Senate President Murray and Speaker DeLeo and the many legislators who attended, wore red, tweeted, Facebooked and helped us raise awareness...

Happy Wear Red Day! How are you celebrating 10 years of Go Red for Woman? How are you going Red today? Thank you for showing your support for the fight against Woman and Heart Disease! Since the first National Wear Red Day 10 years ago we have made tremendous strides in the fight against heart disease...

Many hospitalized children can survive cardiac arrest after prolonged CPR, according to new research. The study found that many hospitalized children survive after prolonged resuscitation (more than 35 minutes) for cardiac arrest. Over half of survivors of prolonged resuscitation had good neurologic...

As you may have heard, the Governor released his budget yesterday. We knew it was going to be a tough budget year but we are applaud the Governor for making a strong commitment to the improvement of the health of the residents. The Governor including a proposed tobacco tax of a $.1.00 and for equalizing...

The American Stroke Association needs you to help us share important stroke messaging tomorrow Wednesday, January 23rd. We’ll hold a Social Media Day of Action to engage as many Americans as possible in our new “F.A.S.T.” stroke awareness advertising campaign, which we created in partnership...

This February we will be celebrating the 10th National Wear Red Day on Feb. 1, 2013. It is a great time to participate by proudly wearning red and fighting individually and together, as part of the movement. But the fight is far from over. This February let’s do more, let’s make sure that...

It's no surprise that most people consume way too much sodium - more than twice the recommendation of less than 1,500 mg a day. Beyond the salt shaker, sodium ranks high on the ingredient list for lots of processed/packaged food and restaurant food. What's also tricky about sodium is that the...