HEARTS in the Americas: saving lives from the world’s deadliest disease

Abstract

[EXTRACT]. The articles in this special issue on HEARTS in the Americas illustrate a wide range of important research on implementing the comprehensive HEARTS model throughout the Americas. Results show that this approach works in countries with differ- ing social and political environments and can be scaled up to serve large populations. Public health programs work best when they focus on specific, measurable, ambitious, achievable targets. In hypertension con- trol, this means focusing on steadily increasing the proportion of all people with estimated hypertension who are adequately treated.