About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) is the nation’s oldest, largest voluntary organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Founded by six cardiologists in 1924, American Heart Association now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters working tirelessly to eliminate these diseases. AHA funds innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to save and improve lives. American Heart Associations nationwide organization includes 144 local offices and nearly 2,700 employees. AHA moved the national headquarters from New York to Dallas in 1975 to be more centrally located. The American Stroke Association was created as a division in 1997 to bring together the organization’s stroke-related activities.
Mission
Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. American Heart Associations mission drives everything AHA does.
What AHA Does
To improve the lives of all Americans, American Heart Association provides public health education in a variety of ways.
American Heart Association is the nation’s leader in CPR education training. AHA helps people understand the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. AHA provides science-based treatment guidelines to healthcare professionals to help ensure the best treatment for every patient, every time. AHA educates lawmakers, policy makers and the public as they advocate for changes to protect and improve the health of our communities.
Volunteer experts select scientific research most worthy of funding – with great results. AHA has funded more than $3.5 billion in research since 1949, more than any organization outside the federal government. AHA has funded 13 Nobel Prize winners and lifesaving advancements such as the first artificial heart valve, cholesterol-inhibiting drugs, heart transplant capabilities, and CPR techniques and guidelines.
Why AHA Is 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.
Some form of cardiovascular disease affects more than one in every three adult Americans. Many suffer terribly from disabilities caused by these diseases.
History of the American Heart Association
Before the American Heart Association existed, people with heart disease were considered to be doomed to complete bed rest – or worse. But a handful of pioneering physicians and social workers believed it didn’t have to be that way. They conducted studies to learn more about heart disease, eventually leading to the founding of the American Heart Association in 1924.
The early American Heart Association enlisted help from hundreds, then thousands, of physicians and scientists. The association reorganized in 1948, transforming from a scientific society to a voluntary health organization composed of both science and lay volunteers and supported by professional staff. Since then, the American Heart Association has grown rapidly in size and influence – nationally and internationally.
In 1975, the headquarters moved from New York City to Dallas to be more centrally located. Volunteer-led affiliates formed a national network of local organizations providing research funding, education, community programs and fundraising.
In the 1980s, the association became a much more visible champion of public health, starting advocacy efforts that remain active today locally across America in all 50 states and in Washington. Large gifts allowed the association to support new research projects and education programs, including more efforts to address heart disease and stroke in women and minorities.
The 1990s were a time of great change. In 1997, the confederation of separately incorporated affiliates merged into a single corporation. That year the American Heart Association also created the American Stroke Association and another division dedicated to CPR training and other emergency cardiac care.
AHA's scientific findings began to move from laboratories and clinics to physician’s offices and American households. The association took positions on important health issues. And despite strong opposition from the tobacco industry, the American Heart Association continued to advocate for the public, especially children.
By 2000, the American Heart Association had established its first 10-year Impact Goal for the entire nation: to reduce coronary heart disease, stroke and risk factors by 25 percent by 2010.
The goals for reducing deaths were exceeded. However, with national trends such as increasing obesity and sedentary lifestyles, we still had much more work to reduce risks. And that drove the association to set another aggressive 10-year Impact Goal for the nation: To improve the cardiovascular health of the entire nation by 20 percent by 2020, while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent.
Today, the American Heart Association works toward that goal as the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization devoted to fighting heart disease and stroke. AHA has more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters supported by nearly 150 local offices.
The association is a leader in public health education and science. AHA trains more than 13 million people a year in CPR. AHA publishes popular cookbooks and certify heart-healthy foods in grocery stores. Programs improve the health of America, fight childhood obesity and reach audiences facing unique health risks, including women, African-Americans and Hispanics.
The association continues to be true to its scientific roots, funding more cardiovascular research than any U.S. organization aside from the government. AHA has funded 13 Nobel Prize winners and numerous scientific breakthroughs. American Heart Association conferences train thousands of healthcare professionals, and set scientific treatment guidelines followed by hospitals nationwide.
The American Heart Association wants everyone to understand the threat – and to know that cardiovascular diseases are largely preventable. Risks can be lowered by adhering to what we call Life’s Simple 7: not smoking, being physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet, controlling blood pressure, controlling cholesterol and controlling blood sugar.