Prevention Matters

The state of Georgia’s new web portal to actively help residents improve their heart health was named Partnership for Prevention’s Best Prevention Idea of the Week, while recent cuts in the number of health reporters in the U.S. was named the Worst Prevention Idea of the week.

The Best/Worst Idea awards are a regular feature of Prevention Matters, the blog of Partnership for Prevention. Each week, Partnership for Prevention's staff will choose the designees based on nominations of items in the previous week’s news submitted by members, staff and the public at large. To submit a nomination or for more information, contact Damon Thompson at dthompson@prevent.org .


BEST

Georgia Portal to Engage Public in Heart Health


The Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Division of Public Health is engaging a web portal to promote heart health and wellness among residents and to help them identify risk factors for chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The program, which is being funded with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is known as MyHealthVillage. Participants can log onto MyHealthVillage.com for a comprehensive health risk assessment, which can be completed online; an online consultation with trained health professionals on how to understand health assessment results; and online access to the American Heart Association’s “Search Your Heart” curriculum.


WORST

Americans Can't Shake Salt Habits

Most Americans consume more than double the amount of their daily recommended level of sodium. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 2 out of 3 adults are in population groups that should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day of sodium. During 2005-2006 the estimated average intake of sodium for persons in the United States age 2 years and older was 3,436 mg per day. A diet high in sodium increases the risk of having higher blood pressure, a major cause for heart disease and stroke. These diseases are the first and third leading causes of death in the United States.