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In the three-and-a-half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the fragmented state of abortion access has put medical professionals in a precarious position. Many states have tightened abortion restrictions, with some enacting criminal penalties up to life in prison for physicians who perform abortions. Medical schools have curtailed abortion-related curricula.

New research led in part by the University of Washington found that the new restrictions are not only affecting the current medical workforce — they may be shaping the next generation of physicians. The study, published March 2 in JAMA Network Open, found that applications to medical residency programs in states that enacted new abortion restrictions dropped sharply following the Dobbs ruling.

The decrease occurred among both male and female applicants. Applications to specialties related to reproductive health — obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, internal medicine and emergency medicine — saw the largest decreases.

The new study builds on previous research that had shown decreased application rates to residency programs in states with abortion restrictions by applying causal methodologies to understand the impact of the Supreme Court decision and isolating results from male and female applicants.

“This research provides important empirical evidence about how state-level policy changes following Dobbs may influence decisions made by medical trainees about where to pursue their graduate medical education,” said co-author Anirban Basu, a UW professor of health economics and director of the Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute.

To learn more about the research, UW News sat down the paper’s three authors: Basu; lead author Dr. Anisha Ganguly, assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and co-author Dr. Anna Morenz, assistant clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Arizona. Both Ganguly and Morenz completed their internal medicine residencies at the UW School of Medicine.

The medical residency match process is quite different from traditional higher-ed applications. Can you explain how that works, and how it relates to your study’s findings?

Dr. Anna Morenz: Applicants may apply to as many programs as they want, with some applying to dozens of programs. At the end of interviews, they’ll rank those programs based on their preferred landing spots. The programs, in turn, will rank all the applicants that they received. A computer algorithm then matches everyone with the goal of filling all the residency slots, and it’s very good at that. We know that almost all open residency slots in the U.S. are filled. So programs are still filling their residency slots even in states with restrictions.

What concerns us about these findings is that there’s an early signal of people avoiding applications to these states. That has potential implications for the quality of the applicants to restricted states, which could not be assessed in our data. There’s typically a high likelihood that people stay where they train for their residency, but if you landed in a restricted state that was low on your rank list, you may be more likely to complete your training and then leave to a non-restricted state. We aim to look at this very important question in projects to come.

Anisha and Anna, you’re both practicing primary care physicians. How big a part of a physician’s training is abortion and other pregnancy-related care? 

Dr. Anisha Ganguly: It’s not a big part of our training traditionally, though there has been a movement to integrate more abortion care into primary care residencies. That’s more the case in family medicine rather than internal medicine, because medication abortion has now become the most common means for abortion care. As internists, we commonly diagnose pregnancies and care for women with medical conditions as they consider family planning.

AM: I do think it’s important to note that a huge percentage of primary care physicians are trained in family medicine. And family medicine physicians are trained in delivery of babies, management of prenatal care, miscarriage management, contraception and abortion. Anisha and I trained in internal medicine, and there is increasing interest to include medication abortion training in internal medicine, as it is fully within our scope of practice.

The effects of the Dobbs decision have been well-documented, and previous work on this topic highlighted changes in OB/GYN residency applications. What’s new in your study specifically? 

Anirban Basu: We had a much longer pre-period than previous studies. We looked back to 2019 to see what had been happening to application rates in these two kinds of states — those that eventually restricted abortion access and those that didn’t — and we showed that these rates had been moving similarly until the ruling. That gives a little more weight to the evidence to say the change is due to the ruling. 

The second big thing is that previous studies did not distinguish whether men and women were changing their behavior similarly. I think that’s a very important finding in our study, that male applicants are changing their behavior at an even higher rate. 

AG: I agree that the gender stratification was an important contribution. The other stratified analysis that we explored was about how specialty type may be driving some of the effects that we saw. A lot of people can reason that OB/GYN applicants would be affected by this directly, and there’s a lot of literature to support that. But what we’re showing is that it’s not just the OB/GYN workforce that’s going to be impacted. It’s the primary care workforce and the emergency medicine workforce. 

We’re hoping that message spreads a little more broadly. This is not just about women’s health. It’s about the future of primary care and the person who’s going to save you from your heart attack in the future.

Let’s talk a little more about that gender stratification. You found that male applicants changed their application preferences at a greater rate than female applicants, which looks like a surprising result. What’s going on there? 

AG: When we generated our original hypotheses, we thought we were going to see increased effects among women applying to residency, but we actually ended up seeing that there were long-term disparities that existed pre-Dobbs between restricted and non-restricted states. This was likely because of the laws targeting abortion providers and other state-level laws that were affecting women’s behavior. What we’re seeing is that women had been reading the tea leaves about access to reproductive health care prior to the Dobbs decision, but the decision did unmask a wider problem that drove a lot of new behavior among men.

One of the messages that we are getting from this paper is this is an “all of us” problem. It’s not just about women physicians. It’s about men who are also making choices about their professional autonomy and also about access to reproductive health care for their families. Women have been and will be considering their personal access to care and autonomy before this decision, but perhaps these state restrictions after Dobbs may have newly increased awareness among men. 

Among all these shifts, you found one group whose application rates didn’t change significantly: people applying to highly competitive medical specialities. What do you think explains that stickiness? 

AG: Anna and I had brainstormed about this being a potential effect modifier, because people who are applying in highly competitive specialties like orthopedic surgery or dermatology apply very broadly and don’t get to exercise a lot of choice about where to go. Whereas for large specialities like internal medicine, family medicine or pediatrics, there are a lot of programs in a lot of places, so applicants have more options. In those cases, state-level policies like abortion restrictions can factor more into people’s decision-making.

At an institutional level, what changes could be made to address these trends? 

AG: Institutions can make choices to mitigate some of these effects by supporting candidates with access to reproductive care within the scope of the restrictions that exist. Other industries are building in travel benefits for women who may need to travel to access these services. 

It’s not this aspect of a decision alone that shapes a residency applicant’s choice to go to a specific place or program. But there are other things that institutions can do to make trainees, particularly women, feel supported and valued. If you’re existing in an environment where state policies make women feel a lack of autonomy, then there are workforce policies that can be in place to bolster that sense of autonomy. That could take the shape of parental leave policies, lactation policies, other things that institutions can do to make women feel like, even if this part of your voice has been taken away, we’ll help you with the rest.

AB: One policy that has a long history of literature supporting it is financial incentives. Physicians do respond to financial incentives, but in many cases those incentives need to be quite steep to get people to change their decisions. 

AM: The other option is training opportunities. A lot of programs in states that had laws or restrictions that preceded the Dobbs decision would set up partnerships with organizations in another state where they could send their trainees to learn about pregnancy termination and miscarriage management. That’s a burden on residency programs and residents both. You have to set up housing and travel agreements. But that’s another key thing that programs need to keep in mind in order to recruit applicants. 

For more information or to contact the researchers, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Over five decades, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has become known as the nation’s first “food as medicine” program. Low-income families receiving WIC benefits — which provides nutritious food in designated categories, nutrition education and access to other social services — have fewer premature births and infant deaths, eat higher-quality diets, and are more likely to receive regular medical care. 

But many families who are income eligible to participate in WIC aren’t receiving those benefits. Research has found that households who don’t use the full amount of their nutrition benefits are more likely to drop from the program. 

New research by the University of Washington has found that households who redeem more of their benefits in the most popular food categories are more likely to remain in the program long-term. Better understanding these patterns could help WIC agencies identify families who might need a little extra encouragement to stay enrolled.

The study was published Dec. 3 in JAMA Network Open. 

“Finding ways to identify kids and families that are at risk of dropping out of the program is of high importance,” said Pia Chaparro, a UW assistant professor of health systems and population health and first author of the study. “That’s basically what we’ve identified — a way to flag families who may be at risk of dropping off.”

WIC provides families with food benefits in specific categories, with fruits and vegetables and eggs as the most popular. In partnership with Public Health Foundation Enterprises WIC (PHFE WIC), a Southern California WIC agency with a large research and evaluation division, researchers analyzed redemption data from 188,000 participating infants and children 0-3 years old, between the years 2019 and 2023. 

Among those children, higher redemption of fruits and vegetables, eggs, whole milk and infant formula was associated with lower risk of their household discontinuing WIC participation. 

The risk of discontinuation decreased in a somewhat linear fashion as redemption rates increased.

Chaparro hopes that local WIC agencies will build on these findings and seek new ways to engage families at risk of dropping off. All WIC providers must offer nutrition education, which could be an opportunity to target households with lower redemption rates in popular categories. 

The findings come just over a year after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees WIC, implemented significant updates to the program’s food package. Among other changes, the 2024 rule significantly increased benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables, which has proven popular.

“The expansion of fruit and vegetable benefits for WIC families has been among the most important policy changes of the last decade,” said Shannon Whaley, director of research and evaluation at PHFE WIC and co-author of the study. “Families want more fruits and vegetables, and this research demonstrates that their inclusion in the WIC food package is essential for longer-term engagement in the program.”

Christopher Anderson of the University of Tennessee and PHFE WIC is the corresponding author. This study was funded by The Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) Partnership.

When uncontrolled wildfires moved from the foothills above Los Angeles into the densely populated urban areas below in January 2025, evacuation ensued and a thick layer of toxic smoke spread across the region. Air quality plummeted. Local hospitals braced for a surge, but it never came.  

Research led by the University of Washington and Kaiser Permanente Southern California sheds new light on how the Los Angeles fires affected people’s health, and how people navigated the health care system during an emergency. In the rapid study, published Nov. 26 in JAMA Health Forum, researchers analyzed the health records of 3.7 million Kaiser Permanente members of all ages living in the region. They found that health care visits did rise above normal levels, especially virtual services.  

In the week after the fires ignited, Kaiser Permanente members made 42% more virtual visits for respiratory symptoms than expected. Those living near a burn zone or within Los Angeles County also made 44% and 40% more virtual cardiovascular visits, respectively, than expected. 

In-person outpatient visits for respiratory symptoms also increased substantially. Members who lived near a burn zone or within Los Angeles County made 27% and 31% more virtual cardiovascular visits, respectively, than expected. 

Extrapolating to all insured residents of the county, the researchers estimated an excess of 15,792 cardiovascular virtual visits, 18,489 respiratory virtual visits and 27,903 respiratory outpatient visits in the first week of the fires. 

The results suggest that people may rely more heavily on virtual health care during climate-related emergencies, and that providers should better prioritize virtual and telehealth services as they prepare for future crises. 

“We saw over 6,241 excess cardiorespiratory virtual visits in the week following the fire ignition. This represents a substantial increase in care,” said Joan Casey, a UW associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of epidemiology who led the research. “While the fires clearly impacted health, virtual care likely enhanced the ability of providers to meet the health care needs of people experiencing an ongoing climate disaster.” 

In collaboration with Kaiser Permanente Southern California, an integrated health care system with millions of members across the region, researchers analyzed health records of people who were highly or moderately exposed to wildfires. They defined high exposure as living within about 12 miles (20 kilometers) of a burn zone, and moderate exposure as living within Los Angeles County but farther than 12 miles during the time of the fires.  

Researchers looked back three years to estimate how many health care visits to expect in the weeks following Jan. 7 — the first day of the fires — under typical conditions. They then estimated how many people sought care in the first week of the fires, when smoke levels were highest, evacuations took place, and Los Angeles County public schools were closed.

In addition to the spike in cardiovascular and respiratory visits, researchers found a sharp increase in the number of visits for injuries and neuropsychiatric symptoms. On Jan. 7, outpatient injury visits were 18% higher than expected among highly exposed members, and virtual injury visits were 26% and 18% higher than expected among highly and moderately exposed groups, respectively. Among those same groups, outpatient neuropsychiatric visits rose 31% and 28% above expectations, respectively.

While both groups made significantly more visits than expected, proximity to the fires mattered. When researchers zoomed in on respiratory-related virtual visits, they found that minimally exposed members made 31% more visits, moderately exposed members made 36% more, and those living in highly exposed areas made 42% more.  

“While healthcare systems often plan to increase the number of hospital beds available or clinic staffing during an emergency, this work highlights the importance of considering virtual care capacity,” said Lauren Wilner, a UW doctoral student of epidemiology and co-author on the study. “This may be particularly true for climate disasters like wildfires, during which people are advised to stay indoors or when people must evacuate — motivating them to seek care online if at all possible. As climate disasters increase in frequency and intensity, it is essential that health care systems know how to prepare for a sudden and dramatic surge in health care utilization.” 

Other authors on this study are Yuqian Gu, Gina Lee and Sara Tartof of Kaiser Permanente Southern California; Lara Schwarz of the University of California, Berkeley; Timothy Frankland of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii; Heather McBrien and Nina Flores of Columbia University; Chen Chen and Arnab Dey of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego; and Tarik Benmarhnia of the Scripps Institution and the University of Rennes in France.

This research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. 

For more information or to reach the research team, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

About 10% of American babies are born prematurely. Birth before 37 weeks can lead to a cascade of health risks, both immediate and long-term, making prevention a vital tool for improving public health over generations. 

In recent years, researchers have identified a potential link between wildfire smoke — one of the fastest-growing sources of air pollution in the United States — and preterm birth, but no study has been big or broad enough to draw definitive conclusions. A new study led by the University of Washington makes an important contribution, analyzing data from more than 20,000 births to find that pregnant people who are exposed to wildfire smoke are more likely to give birth prematurely.

“Preventing preterm birth really pays off with lasting benefits for future health,” said lead author Allison Sherris, a UW postdoctoral researcher in environmental and occupational health sciences. “It’s also something of a mystery. We don’t always understand why babies are born preterm, but we know that air pollution contributes to preterm births, and it makes sense that wildfire smoke would as well. This study underscores that wildfire smoke is inseparable from maternal and infant health.”

In the study, published Nov. 3 in The Lancet Planetary Health, researchers used data from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, a federal research project focused on how a wide range of environmental factors affect children’s health. The sample included 20,034 births from 2006-2020 across the contiguous United States.

Researchers estimated participants’ average daily exposure to fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, generated by wildfire smoke, and the total number of days they were exposed to any amount of smoke. They estimated the intensity of smoke exposure by how frequently participants were exposed to wildfire PM2.5 levels above certain thresholds.

They found that pregnant people exposed to more intense wildfire smoke were more likely to give birth prematurely. In mid-pregnancy, exposure to any smoke was associated with an elevated risk of preterm birth, with that risk peaking around the 21st week of gestation. In late pregnancy, elevated risk was most closely associated with exposure to high concentrations of wildfire PM2.5, above 10 micrograms per cubic meter.

“The second trimester is a period of pregnancy with the richest and most intense growth of the placenta, which itself is such an important part of fetal health, growth and development,” said co-author Dr. Catherine Karr, a UW professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of pediatrics in the UW School of Medicine. “So it may be that the wildfire smoke particles are really interfering with placental health. Some of them are so tiny that after inhalation they can actually get into the bloodstream and get delivered directly into the placenta or fetus.” 

The link was strongest and most precise in the Western U.S., where people were exposed to the highest concentrations of wildfire PM2.5 and the greatest number of high-intensity smoke days. Here, the odds of preterm birth increased with each additional microgram per cubic meter of average wildfire PM2.5.

It’s possible those results were more precise simply because the West experiences more wildfire smoke on average, making the exposure model perform better, Sherris said. But there may be other factors behind the regional differences. 

The composition of wildfire smoke is different across the country. In the West, smoke tends to come from fires nearby, while in places like the Midwest, smoke has typically drifted in from faraway fires. Smoke’s toxicity changes as it ages and reacts with sunlight and airborne chemicals, which could have affected the results. Researchers also noted that external factors like co-occurring heat or housing quality may have effects that aren’t fully understood. 

Researchers hope that future studies will examine the exact mechanisms by which wildfire smoke might trigger preterm birth. But in the meantime, Sherris said, evidence for a link is now strong enough to take action. 

“There are a couple avenues for change,” Sherris said. “First, people already get a lot of public health messaging and information throughout pregnancy, so there’s an opportunity to work with clinicians to provide tools for pregnant people to protect themselves during smoke events. Public health agencies’ messaging about wildfire smoke could also be tailored to pregnant people and highlight them as a vulnerable group.”

Co-authors include Logan Dearborn, doctoral student of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW; Christine Loftus, clinical associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW; Adam Szpiro, professor of biostatistics at the UW; Joan Casey, associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of epidemiology at the UW; Sindana Ilango, postdoctoral fellow of epidemiology at the UW; and Marissa Childs, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW. A full list of co-authors is included with the paper.

This research was funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program at the National Institutes of Health under multiple awards. A full list of ECHO funding awards is included with the paper. 

For more information or to contact the researchers, email Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Targeted drug delivery is a powerful and promising area of medicine. Therapies that pinpoint the exact areas of the body where they’re needed — and nowhere they’re not — can reduce the medicine dosage and avoid potentially harmful “off target” effects elsewhere in the body. A targeted immunotherapy, for example, might seek out cancerous tissues and activate immune cells to fight the disease only in those tissues.

The tricky part is making a therapy truly “smart,” where the medicine can move freely through the body and decide which areas to target.

Researchers at the University of Washington took a significant step toward that goal by designing proteins with autonomous decision-making capabilities. In a proof-of-principles study published Oct. 9 in Nature Chemical Biology, researchers demonstrated that by adding smart tail structures to therapeutic proteins, they could control the proteins’ localization based on the presence of specific environmental cues. These protein tails fold themselves into preprogrammed shapes that define how they react to different combinations of cues. In addition, the experiment showed that the smart protein tails could be attached to a carrier material for delivery to living cells.

Advances in synthetic biology also allowed the researchers to manufacture these proteins cheaply and in a matter of days instead of months.

“We’ve been thinking about these concepts for some time but have struggled with ways to increase and automate production,” said senior author Cole DeForest, a UW professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering. “We’ve now finally figured out how to produce these systems faster, at scale and with dramatically enhanced logical complexity. We are excited about how these will lead to more sophisticated and scalable disease-honing therapies.”

The concept of programmable biomaterials isn’t new. Scientists have developed numerous strategies to make systems responsive to individual cues — such as pH levels or the presence of specific enzymes — that are associated with a particular disease or area of the body. But it’s rare to find one cue, or “biomarker,” that’s unique to one spot, so a material that hones in on just one biomarker might act on a few unintended places in addition to the target.

One solution to this problem is to seek out a combination of biomarkers. There might be many areas of the body with particular enzyme or pH levels, but there are likely fewer areas with both of those factors. In theory, the more biomarkers a material can identify, the more finely targeted drug delivery can be.

In 2018, DeForest’s lab created a new class of materials that responded to multiple biomarkers using Boolean logic, a concept traditionally used in computer programming.

“We realized that we could program how therapeutics were released based simply on how they were connected to a carrier material,” DeForest said. “For example, if we linked a therapeutic cargo to a material via two degradable groups connected in series — that is, each after the other — it would be released if either group was degraded, acting as an OR gate. When the degradable groups were instead connected in parallel — that is, each on a different half of a cycle — both groups had to be degraded for cargo release, functioning as an AND gate. Excitingly, by combining these basic gates we could readily create advanced logical circuits.”

It was a big step forward, but it wasn’t scalable — the team built these large and complex logic-responsive materials manually through traditional organic chemistry.

But over the next several years, the related field of synthetic biology advanced by leaps and bounds.

“The field has developed exciting new protein-based tools that can allow researchers to form permanent bonds between proteins,” said co-first author Murial Ross, a UW doctoral student of bioengineering. “It opened doors for new protein structures that were previously unachievable, which made more complex logical operations possible.”

Additionally, it became practical to use living cells as factories to produce these complex proteins, allowing scientists to design custom DNA blueprints for new proteins, insert the DNA into bacteria or other host cells, and then collect the proteins with the desired structure directly from the cells.

With these new tools, DeForest and his team streamlined and improved many steps of the process at once. They designed and produced proteins with tails that spontaneously fold into more bespoke shapes, creating complex “circuits” that can respond to up to five different biomarkers. These new proteins can attach to various carriers — hydrogels, tiny beads or living cells — for delivery to a cell, or theoretically a disease site. The team even loaded up one carrier with three different proteins, each programmed to deliver their unique cargo based on different sets of environmental cues.

“We were so excited about the results,” DeForest said. “Using the old process, it would take months to synthesize just a few milligrams of each of these materials. Now it takes us a couple of weeks to go from construct design to product. It’s been a complete game changer for us.”

“The sky’s the limit. You can create delayed and independent delivery of many different components in one treatment,” Ross said. “And I think we could create much, much larger logical circuits that a protein can be responsive to. We’re at the point now that the technology is outpacing what we’ve seriously considered in terms of applications, which is a great place to be.”

The researchers will now continue searching for more biomarkers that proteins could target. They also hope to start collaborating with other labs at the UW and beyond to build and deploy real-world therapies.

The team outlined other uses for the technology as well. The same tools could manufacture therapies within a single cell and direct them to specific regions, a sort of microcosm of how the process works in the body. DeForest also envisions diagnostic tools like blood tests that could, say, turn a certain color when a complex set of cues within the blood sample are present.

DeForest thinks the first practical applications are likely to be cancer treatments, but with more research, the possibilities feel endless.

“The dream is to be able to pick any arbitrary location inside of the body — down to individual cells — and program a material to go and act there,” he said. “That’s a tall order, but with these technologies we’re getting closer. With the right combination of biomarkers, these materials will just get more and more precise.”

Co-authors include Annabella Li, a former UW undergraduate student of chemical engineering; Shivani Kottantharayil, a UW undergraduate student of bioengineering; and Jack Hoye, a UW doctoral student of chemical engineering.

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

For more information, contact DeForest at profcole@uw.edu. 

DALLAS, April 22, 2026 — Scientific research teams from Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute in Boston, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Center and the University of Pittsburgh will lead a new $15 million initiative dedicated to better understanding how to diagnose and treat heart valve disease. The Strategically Focused Research Network on Earlier Detection and Delaying Progression of Valvular Heart Disease is the latest research network funded by the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all.

According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, more than 80 million people worldwide are living with some type of heart valve disease, and the numbers are climbing. In the U.S., the condition contributes to more than 57,000 deaths each year.

Heart valve disease is a common cardiovascular condition in which one or more of the heart’s four valves are narrowed and restrict blood flow or do not close properly which causes blood to flow backward rather than into the heart chambers or large blood vessels. Left untreated, it can eventually lead to heart failure, arrhythmia, recurrent hospital admissions, reduced quality of life and early death. Heart valve disease becomes more common with age and often progresses silently, so many people are not aware they have the disease. Identifying early warning signs and diagnosis before symptoms become severe can expand treatment options, prevent complications and improve quality of life.

“The prevalence of heart valve disease is increasing, but it rarely makes headlines and often shows no early warning signs. By the time symptoms appear, damage may already be done — making early detection and treatment essential,” said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health and senior vice president of women’s health at Northwell Health in New York City. “The American Heart Association has identified heart valve disease as a key focus area and continues to support clinicians and health systems in improving patient care through our Heart Valve Initiative and our Target: Aortic Stenosis™ quality improvement program. This new research network is an exciting way to extend our impact even earlier by supporting innovative, cutting-edge scientific exploration. I look forward to seeing what we can learn from these progressive teams.”

The four-year awards, which started April 1, 2026, will include collaborative research projects across the three funded centers. The research centers and the projects include:

• Mass General Brigham’s VALVE-iPROTECT Center – This center will be led by Elena Aikawa, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, director of the Heart Valve Translational Research Program and professor of medicine at Mass General Brigham Hospital in Boston. The VALVE‑iPROTECT Center aims to change how calcific aortic stenosis (AS) is prevented and treated by finding it earlier, identifying who is most at risk and developing strategies to stop it before severe damage occurs. AS is a common and serious heart valve disease in which the aortic valve gradually becomes stiff and narrowed. As the opening gets smaller, the heart must work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body, which can eventually lead to heart failure or even death. Currently, there is no medication that can stop or slow this disease, so patients are often monitored for years until valve replacement becomes necessary. New research shows that this disease begins years earlier than symptoms appear and is driven by cholesterol-related inflammation and calcium buildup, especially involving a blood particle called lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). Researchers will undertake three different projects to study the earliest molecular changes that trigger valve calcification, use advanced imaging to track active disease and develop clinical calculators to identify issues in people before major valve damage is visible. The team will combine these insights with blood tests, multi-omics, genetics and population studies. By linking discoveries from cells and imaging to large community studies and clinical trials, the Center will develop new tools to predict risk and guide prevention. Together, this work seeks to shift AS care from late-stage surgery to early detection and prevention, supporting the American Heart Association’s mission to improve cardiovascular health.

• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Strategic Hub for Interventions to Promote Early Detection and Lifelong Protection from Advanced Rheumatic Heart Disease (SHIELD) Center – The SHIELD Center will be led by Andrea Beaton, M.D., M.S., FAHA, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati and pediatric cardiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati. The SHIELD Center is structured around global collaboration, including a long-standing partnership between co-investigators at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the Rheumatic Heart Disease Collaborative in Uganda at the Uganda Heart Institute in Kampala, and The University of Washington Department of Global Health in Seattle.  Additional co-investigators and partners represent: Centre College, in Danville, Kentucky; Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.; Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle; Menzies School of Health Research in Dili, Timor Leste; Ochsner Children’s Hospital in New Orleans and Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The center teams will undertake three different research projects focused on rheumatic heart disease (RHD), the leading cause of heart valve disease in children and young adults, affecting at least 55 million people worldwide, especially in low‑income countries and underserved communities. Although advanced RHD is largely preventable, progress has been slow, even after the World Health Organization’s 2024 guidelines recommending heart ultrasound screening for early detection and ongoing care to prevent disease progression. The SHIELD Center aims to close this gap by showing how these recommendations can work in real life and will be integrated into national RHD action plans across various settings. Working with organizations in Brazil, Timor‑Leste and Uganda, SHIELD will test the performance, adaptability and feasibility of strategies such as: artificial intelligence–supported heart screening to detect RHD earlier, digital patient registries to connect people to ongoing care and community‑based support systems to help patients stay on preventive medications. Patients, clinicians, and health systems will help shape each program to ensure it fits local needs, while researchers track both health outcomes and real‑world effectiveness. SHIELD will also use the RHD registry create a global RHD quality improvement network to support wider adoption of successful approaches and establish a multidisciplinary training program to coach the next generation of global heart health leaders. Together, this international effort aims to prove that RHD is a solvable problem — and that early detection and prevention can spare millions of people from lifelong illness and disability.

• The University of Pittsburgh’s Center For Aortic Valve Disease Prediction And Integrated Research – This center will be led by Cynthia St. Hilaire, Ph.D., FAHA, director of the Center for Integrative Valve Science and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, and will include a collaboration with teams at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. The three projects for this center will focus on early detection, disease pathogenesis and treatment of aortic stenosis. This Research Center’s approach considers how known risk factors, systemic inflammation and the biomechanical environment interact to sensitize the valve towards calcification. Lp(a) is a genetically determined blood factor that increases AS risk. But many people with high Lp(a) never develop valve disease. That means other factors influence whether a valve calcifies or not. Inflammation can speed up valve damage and calcification processes. Similarly, the valve is under dynamic physical stress every heartbeat. Inflammation, abnormal stretching, and disturbed blood flow may drive disease by synergizing with blood-based risk factors to induce valve injury. The effects of these forces are hard to study in typical lab tests, so the teams from this center will build more realistic systems to study progression of the disease under conditions of real valve motion and blood flow. The goal is to shift AS care from late surgery to early detection and prevention. The Research Center will: (1) identify people at highest risk using practical biomarkers, clinical imaging, and machine learning; (2) test how Lp(a), inflammation and mechanics combine to drive disease in realistic lab systems; and (3) understand how Lp(a) initiates calcification of valve cells and develop treatments that block these processes. The researchers aim to learn who is most at risk, what physical forces trigger valve damage and how to stop the process early — so fewer patients need surgery.

The American Heart Association has invested almost $300 million to establish 19 Strategically Focused Research Networks, each aimed at addressing a key strategic issue identified by the Association’s volunteer Board of Directors. Prior networks have been studying a wide variety of important topics including, but not limited to, prevention; hypertension; the health of women; heart failure; obesity; vascular disease; atrial fibrillation; arrhythmias/sudden cardiac death; cardiometabolic health/type 2 diabetes; health technology; cardio-oncology; the biological impact of chronic psychosocial stress, the role of inflammation in cardiovascular health and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. Each network centers around scientific knowledge and knowledge gaps, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the key research topic. Three to six research centers make up each network, bringing together investigators with expertise in basic, clinical and population/behavioral health science to find new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent heart disease and stroke.

Funding scientific research and discovery through initiatives like these awards is a cornerstone of the century-old American Heart Association’s lifesaving mission. The Association has now funded more than $6.1 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949, making it the single largest non-profit, non-government supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S. New knowledge resulting from this funding continues to save lives and directly impact millions of people in every corner of the U.S. and around the world.

More than 8 in 10 (82%) U.S. adults say they are confident in the American Heart Association to provide trustworthy information related to public health, according to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll. The Association ranked second only to an individual’s personal health care provider.

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About the American Heart Association 

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day.  Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries:

Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

Puntos destacados de la investigación:

• Alrededor de medio millón de veteranos estadounidenses, quienes en promedio tenían aproximadamente 33 años al momento del estudio, tenían presión arterial alta, según un nuevo análisis.
• Entre este grupo, los veteranos hombres y de raza negra tenían más probabilidades de sufrir de presión arterial alta.
• Y, aunque las mujeres eran menos propensas a sufrir esta afección, cuando la presentaban, era más probable que no estuviera diagnosticada.
• Los veteranos hispanos tenían más probabilidades de tener presión arterial alta sin diagnosticar.

Prohibida su divulgación hasta las 4 a. m., hora central/5 a. m., hora del este, miércoles 22 de abril de 2026

DALLAS, 22 de abril de 2026 — Alrededor de medio millón de veteranos estadounidenses del período posterior al 11-S que prestaron servicio en las fuerzas armadas tenían presión arterial alta y, entre ellos, aproximadamente la mitad no recibió un diagnóstico y un tercio no recibió tratamiento, de acuerdo con un nuevo estudio publicado hoy en la revista médica de la American Heart Association  (sitio web en inglés), una revista de acceso abierto y revisada por pares de la American Heart Association.

Este estudio es uno de los primeros en examinar la presión arterial alta en veteranos estadounidenses más jóvenes del período posterior al 11-S, quienes tenían en promedio 33 años al momento de acceder a la atención en la Veterans Health Administration (Administración de Salud de Veteranos).

“La prevención, el manejo y el control de la presión arterial alta son esenciales para proteger la salud cardiovascular de todos los adultos, incluidos los adultos jóvenes y aquellos con mayor riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular”, señaló la autora principal del estudio, Tiffany Chang, Ph.D., epidemióloga de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) de EE. UU. en Atlanta. “Los veteranos presentan mayores tasas de ciertos factores de riesgo, como trastorno de estrés postraumático y exposición directa al combate, que pueden contribuir a un mayor riesgo de presión arterial alta, en comparación con los no veteranos. La prevención y el manejo tempranos de la presión arterial alta son fundamentales para reducir el riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas y ataque o derrame cerebral, y mejorar los resultados de salud a largo plazo”.

Los investigadores utilizaron registros médicos electrónicos de la Veterans Health Administration para examinar datos de más de un millón de veteranos estadounidenses del período posterior al 11-S, quienes tenían en promedio 33 años. A través de mediciones de presión arterial, diagnósticos médicos y datos de dispensación de medicamentos recetados, los investigadores identificaron a las personas que tenían presión arterial alta, presión arterial alta no diagnosticada y presión arterial alta no tratada.

Hallazgos del estudio:

• Casi la mitad (45%) de los hombres y mujeres cumplieron con la definición clínica del estudio de presión arterial alta.
• Los hombres tuvieron más probabilidades de tener presión arterial alta en comparación con las mujeres y, además, fueron significativamente más propensos a tener factores de riesgo como fumar en la actualidad o haberlo hecho en el pasado, consumir alcohol o drogas, tener obesidad y sufrir diabetes.
• En comparación con los hombres, las mujeres tuvieron un 5% menos de probabilidades de tener presión arterial alta; sin embargo, aquellas que sufrieron la afección tuvieron un 17% más de probabilidades de que esta no fuera diagnosticada.
• Los veteranos de raza negra tenían un 9% más de probabilidades de tener presión arterial alta en comparación con los veteranos de raza blanca. No obstante, los veteranos de raza negra tuvieron más consultas de atención primaria y fue menos probable que su presión arterial alta estuviera sin diagnosticar y sin tratamiento.
• Los veteranos hispanos tenían un 5% más de probabilidades de tener presión arterial alta sin diagnosticar y un 7% más de probabilidades de tenerla sin tratamiento, en comparación con los veteranos de raza blanca.

“La elevada carga de presión arterial alta entre los veteranos más jóvenes destaca la importancia de las estrategias de prevención temprana, en especial para poblaciones con mayor riesgo como los veteranos de raza negra e hispanos”, señaló Chang. “Una prevención y un manejo más sólidos de la presión arterial alta en etapas más tempranas de la adultez pueden ayudar a reducir el riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas y ataque o derrame cerebral posteriormente en la vida”.

Daniel W. Jones, M.D., M.A.C.P., FAHA, voluntario experto y expresidente de la American Heart Association, presidente del comité redactor de la Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults (Guía para la prevención, la detección, la evaluación y el tratamiento de la presión arterial alta en adultos) de la Asociación (sitio web en inglés), señaló: “Esto es más evidencia de que la presión arterial alta es un problema importante en los adultos jóvenes. Es preocupante que tantos de ellos no estuvieran diagnosticados ni tratados, aun cuando se atendían en el sistema de salud del Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos. Si no se maneja de forma adecuada, muchos de estos adultos jóvenes presentarán enfermedades cardíacas, ataques o derrames cerebrales, demencia y enfermedad renal como consecuencia de su presión arterial alta”. Jones también es decano y profesor emérito de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Misisipi en Jackson, Misisipi, y no participó en este estudio.

Los investigadores indican que sus hallazgos también destacan la necesidad de contar con estrategias para promover un estilo de vida saludable para el corazón a partir de una temprana edad. La American Heart Association define la salud cardíaca óptima a través de sus métricas Life’s Essential 8™, cuatro conductas de salud (alimentarse mejor, realizar más actividad, dejar el tabaco y dormir de manera saludable) y cuatro factores de salud (mantener un peso saludable y controlar el colesterol, la presión arterial y el azúcar en sangre).

Según el American Heart Association’s 2026 Statistical Supplement (Suplemento estadístico de 2026 de la American Heart Association) (sitio web en inglés), entre 2021 y 2023, casi la mitad de las personas (47.3%) de Estados Unidos tenía presión arterial alta.

Detalles, antecedentes y diseño del estudio:

• El grupo del estudio incluyó a 1,181,007 veteranos jóvenes del período posterior al 11-S. Su edad promedio fue de 33.5 años, y alrededor del 12% eran mujeres.
• Los participantes del estudio recibieron atención médica a través de la Veterans Health Administration entre 2001 y 2023.
• La presión arterial alta se definió mediante mediciones de presión arterial en consulta ambulatoria (≥140/90 mm Hg), códigos de diagnóstico médico documentados y dispensaciones de recetas de antihipertensivos.
• Entre las personas con presión arterial alta, los investigadores identificaron además si los veteranos presentaban presión arterial alta no diagnosticada (aquellos sin diagnóstico documentado de presión arterial alta) y presión arterial alta no tratada (personas que no tenían dispensación de recetas de antihipertensivos).
• En este análisis, se examinaron las diferencias en las mediciones de hipertensión por sexo, raza y etnia.

El estudio tiene varias limitaciones. Debido a que su naturaleza es observacional, puede identificar asociaciones entre distintos puntos de datos; sin embargo, no puede probar una relación directa de causa y efecto. Además, es posible que algunos casos de presión arterial alta se hayan pasado por alto o se hayan clasificado erróneamente. El estudio no incluyó registros de atención médica o recetas que los veteranos pudieran haber recibido fuera del sistema de la Veterans Health Administration.

Los coautores y las divulgaciones se indican en el artículo. Los CDC no recibieron financiamiento para este estudio.

Los estudios publicados en las revistas médicas científicas de la American Heart Association son revisados por expertos. Las afirmaciones y conclusiones en cada artículo son solo aquellas de los autores del estudio y no reflejan necesariamente la política ni la posición de la Asociación. La Asociación no ofrece ninguna declaración ni garantía de ningún tipo en cuanto a su exactitud o confiabilidad. La Asociación recibe más de un 85% de sus ingresos de fuentes que no son empresas. Estas fuentes incluyen contribuciones de particulares, fundaciones y sucesiones, así como rendimientos de inversiones. Los fabricantes y otras empresas también realizan donaciones a la Asociación. La Asociación tiene políticas estrictas para evitar que las donaciones influyan en el contenido científico y en las posturas de sus políticas. La información financiera general está disponible aquí (sitio web en inglés).

Recursos adicionales:

• Los recursos multimedia se encuentran en la columna derecha del vínculo de la publicación.
• Comunicado de prensa en inglés
• Después del 22 de abril, consulta el artículo (sitio web en inglés) en línea.
• Comunicado de prensa de la American Heart Association: African American veterans with PTSD had higher risk of re-hospitalization after stroke (Los veteranos afroamericanos con TEPT tenían mayor riesgo de rehospitalización luego de un ataque o derrame cerebral) (sitio web en inglés) (marzo de 2024).
• Comunicado de prensa de la American Heart Association: Research highlights the need to looker closer at CVD risk factors in military veterans (Una investigación destaca la necesidad de analizar en mayor profundidad los factores de riesgo de ECV en veteranos de las fuerzas armadas) (sitio web en inglés) (noviembre de 2021)
• Información de salud de la American Heart Association: High Blood Pressure (Presión arterial alta)
• Sigue las noticias de la American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (la Asociación Americana del Derrame Cerebral) en X en @HeartNews (sitio web en inglés)
• Sigue las noticias de la revista médica Journal of the American Heart Association en @JAHA_AHA (sitio web en inglés).

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Acerca de la American Heart Association

La American Heart Association es una fuerza incansable para un mundo de vidas más largas y saludables. La organización ha sido una fuente líder de información sobre salud durante más de cien años y su objetivo es garantizar la equidad en la salud en todas las comunidades. Con el apoyo de más de 35 millones de voluntarios en todo el mundo, financiamos investigaciones vanguardistas, defendemos la salud pública y proporcionamos recursos fundamentales para salvar y mejorar vidas afectadas por enfermedades cardiovasculares y ataques o derrames cerebrales. Trabajamos incansablemente para hacer avanzar la salud y transformar vidas cada día mediante el impulso de avances y la iplementación de soluciones comprobadas en las áreas de ciencia, políticas y cuidados. Comunícate con nosotros mediante heart.org (sitio web en inglés), Facebook o X, o llama al 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Para consultas de los medios de comunicación o el punto de vista experto de la American Heart Association: 214-706-1173

Bridgette McNeill: Bridgette.McNeill@heart.org

Para consultas públicas: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org (sitio web en inglés) y derramecerebral.org

Research Highlights:

• About half a million U.S. veterans, who were an average age of about 33 years at the time of the study, had high blood pressure, according to a new analysis.
• Among this group, men and Black veterans were more likely to have high blood pressure.
• Women were less likely to have high blood pressure; however, their high blood pressure was more likely to be undiagnosed.
• Hispanic veterans were more likely to be undiagnosed with high blood pressure.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, April 22, 2026

DALLAS, April 22, 2026 – Approximately half a million post-9/11 U.S. veterans who served in the military have had high blood pressure, and among them, about half were undiagnosed and one quarter were untreated, according to a new study published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

This study is among the first to examine high blood pressure in younger post-9/11 U.S. veterans who were, on average, 33 years old when accessing care at the Veterans Health Administration.

“Preventing, managing and controlling high blood pressure are essential for protecting cardiovascular health in all adults, including younger adults and those at increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” said lead study author Tiffany Chang, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. “Veterans have higher rates of certain risk factors, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and direct combat exposure, that may contribute to an increased risk of high blood pressure compared to non-veterans. Earlier prevention and management of high blood pressure are key to reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke and improving long-term health outcomes.”

Researchers used electronic health records from the Veterans Health Administration to examine data from over one million post-9/11 U.S. veterans, who were an average age of 33 years. Using blood pressure measurements, medical diagnoses and prescription medication fill data, researchers identified individuals who had high blood pressure, undiagnosed high blood pressure and untreated high blood pressure.

Study findings:

• Nearly half (45%) of men and women veterans met the study’s clinical definition of high blood pressure.
• Men were more likely to have high blood pressure compared with women and were also significantly more likely to have risk factors such as being a current or past smoker, alcohol or drug use, obesity and diabetes.
• Compared with men, women were 5% less likely to have high blood pressure, however, those who did were 17% more likely to be undiagnosed.
• Black veterans were 9% more likely to have high blood pressure compared with white veterans. However, Black veterans had more primary care visits and were less likely to have their high blood pressure be undiagnosed and untreated.
• Hispanic veterans were 5% more likely to have undiagnosed high blood pressure and 7% more likely to have untreated high blood pressure, compared with white veterans.

“The high burden of high blood pressure among younger veterans highlights the importance of early prevention strategies, especially for higher-risk populations such as Black and Hispanic veterans,” Chang said. “Stronger prevention and management of high blood pressure earlier in adulthood can help lower the risk of heart disease and stroke later in life.”

Daniel W. Jones, M.D., M.A.C.P., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer expert and past president of the Association, chair of the writing committee for the Association’s Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults said, “This is more evidence that high blood pressure is an important issue in young adults. It’s disturbing that so many of these were undiagnosed and untreated, even though they were being seen in the VA health system. If not managed appropriately, many of these young adults will experience heart disease, stroke, dementia and kidney disease as a result of their high blood pressure.” Jones is also dean and professor emeritus of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, Mississippi and was not involved in this study.

The researchers say their findings also highlight the need for strategies that promote a heart-healthy lifestyle starting at a young age. The American Heart Association defines optimal heart health through its Life’s Essential 8™ metrics — four health behaviors (eat better, be more active, quit tobacco and get healthy sleep) and four health factors (healthy weight and manage cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar).

The American Heart Association’s 2026 Statistical Supplement reports that between 2021 and 2023, almost half of all people (47.3%) in the U.S. had high blood pressure.

Study details, background and design:

• The study group included 1,181,007 post-9/11 younger veterans. Their average age was 33.5 years; and about 12% were women.
• Study participants received medical care through the Veterans Health Administration between 2001 and 2023.
• High blood pressure was defined using outpatient blood pressure measurements (≥140/90 mm Hg), documented medical diagnosis codes and prescription fills for blood pressure-lowering medications.
• Among individuals with high blood pressure, researchers further identified if veterans had undiagnosed high blood pressure (those without a documented diagnosis of high blood pressure) and untreated high blood pressure (individuals who did not have a prescription fill for a blood pressure-lowering medication).
• The analysis examined differences in hypertension measures by sex, race and ethnicity.

The study has several limitations. Because it is observational, it can identify associations between different data points; however, it cannot prove direct cause and effect. Additionally, some cases of high blood pressure may have been missed or misclassified. The study did not include records of medical care or prescriptions that veterans may have received outside the Veterans Health Administration system.

Co-authors and disclosures are listed in the manuscript. The CDC received no funding for this study.

Studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of release link.
• Spanish news release
• After April 22, view the manuscript online.
• American Heart Association news release: African American veterans with PTSD had higher risk of re-hospitalization after stroke (March 2024)
• American Heart Association news release: Research highlights the need to looker closer at CVD risk factors in military veterans (Nov. 2021)
• American Heart Association health information: High Blood Pressure
• Follow American Heart Association/American Stroke Association news on X  @HeartNews
• Follow news from the Journal of the American Heart Association @JAHA_AHA

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and American Heart Association Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173

Bridgette McNeill: Bridgette.McNeill@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

Research Highlights:

• Adults who reported feeling lonely or that they can’t confide in someone close to them had a higher risk of developing degenerative heart valve disease, even after considering traditional heart disease risk factors and genetics.
• Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking, excessive alcohol and inactivity, played a major role in linking loneliness to degenerative heart valve disease.
• However, social isolation, defined as living alone, having little social contact with friends or family in a month and not participating in social or leisure activities, was not associated with increased degenerative heart valve disease risk.
• Loneliness may be an independent and potentially modifiable risk factor that may help reduce the risk of degenerative valvular heart disease.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, April 15, 2026

DALLAS, April 15, 2026 — Adults who reported feeling lonely had a higher risk of developing degenerative heart valve disease, even after accounting for traditional heart disease risk factors and genetics, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Valvular heart disease occurs when one of the heart’s four valves stops functioning properly. According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report, valvular heart disease accounted for more than 440,000 deaths in the U.S. between 1999 and 2020, which is roughly the population of Oakland, California. Valvular heart disease represented 2.38% of total cardiovascular deaths in 1999-2000. Birth defects, as well as aging-related degeneration or other conditions, can cause heart valve problems. Degenerative valvular heart disease occurs when the heart valves gradually become stiff or leaky over time, making it harder for blood to flow properly through the heart.

A 2022 scientific statement from the American Heart Association about the impact of objective and perceived social isolation on heart and brain health noted that a lack of social connection is associated with an increased risk of premature death from all causes, as well as other adverse health outcomes.

Researchers say this is one of the first large-scale studies to comprehensively examine the relationships between loneliness, a lack of connection or engagement with others, and the risk of degenerative valvular heart disease.

“Degenerative valvular heart disease is becoming more common as populations age,” said study author Zhaowei Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in Changsha, Hunan, China. “Our findings suggest that loneliness may be an independent and potentially modifiable risk factor for degenerative valvular heart disease.

“Identifying this new risk is an important step in potentially preventing valve disease, which can lead to heart failure, reduced quality of life and the need for valve replacement surgery,” Zhu said. “Heart valve disease diagnosed in people who reported ‘feeling lonely’ may reflect a biological vulnerability related to an individual’s feelings and emotional well-being, and also a growing societal burden.”

In this study, researchers reviewed existing information from about 463,000 adults enrolled in the UK Biobank. Participants completed questionnaires to assess loneliness and social isolation when they enrolled. Researchers followed participants for a median of nearly 14 years, using medical records to track new diagnoses of degenerative valvular heart disease.

Results of the analysis:

• More than 11,000 new cases of degenerative valvular heart disease were diagnosed during the follow-up.
• Among those, more than 4,200 cases were aortic valve stenosis, a condition in which the valve that allows blood to leave the heart becomes narrowed and restricts blood flow; and nearly 4,700 were mitral valve regurgitation, a condition in which the valve between the heart’s left chambers does not close properly, allowing blood to leak backward.
• About 72% of participants reported minimal loneliness, while 28% reported higher levels of loneliness.
• Compared with people who reported minimal loneliness, those with the highest level of loneliness had a 19% higher risk of developing degenerative valvular heart disease; a 21% higher risk of aortic valve stenosis; and a 23% higher risk of mitral valve regurgitation.
• In contrast, social isolation was not significantly associated with increased risk for any valvular heart disease conditions.
• Loneliness appeared to increase the risk regardless of a person’s genetic background. However, people who had both high genetic risk for heart valve disease and high loneliness scores had the highest risk of valvular heart disease diagnosis.
• Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (such as obesity, smoking, excess alcohol drinking, suboptimal sleep duration or irregular physical activity) partially explained the relationship between loneliness and valvular heart disease.

“Our results suggest that addressing loneliness could help delay disease progression, postpone surgical interventions such as valve replacement, and ultimately reduce the long-term clinical and economic burden of valvular heart disease,” said study co-author Cheng Wei, M.D, a Ph.D. candidate in cardiovascular medicine at The Second Xiangya Hospital.

“These findings should highlight for patients and health care professionals that loneliness is not just an emotion; not something a person must get over or deal with on their own,” said American Heart Association volunteer expert Crystal Wiley Cené, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, who led the writing group on perceived isolation and cardiovascular disease, and who was not involved in this study. “Loneliness, particularly chronic loneliness, is a stressor for the body that can damage people’s health. Patients and health care professionals need to understand the importance of talking about loneliness and social disconnectedness as a health risk, not a moral failing or sign of weakness.“

“The aging process can cause degeneration of heart values, and the risk of social isolation and loneliness also increase with age, so it is not inconceivable that loneliness is associated with heart valve disease,” said Cené, who is also a professor of medicine and public health at University of California, San Diego and chair elect of the Association’s Implementation Science Committee for the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention.

She also noted that loneliness is about the quality of relationships, not quantity. "You can be lonely even when you are surrounded by others, if those connections aren’t fulfilling or meaningful,” Cené said. “Loneliness represents a mismatch between the connections a person desires and what they have. This explains why our youngest generations are the most connected generations with lots of online ‘friends,’ yet also may be the loneliest. Connections that exist online only may not be the most fulfilling.”

Both Wei and Cené encourage people to discuss how they feel with health care professionals, and health care professionals should encourage patients to engage in meaningful forms of social connection.

Study limitations include that it was observational, meaning the research cannot prove that loneliness directly caused valvular heart disease; rather, the findings showed an association between the two. Another limitation is that loneliness was measured using self-reported questionnaires completed at a single point in time, which does not capture changes over time. In addition, most participants of the UK Biobank are white adults, which may limit how broadly the results apply to people in other racial or ethnic groups.

“Future studies are needed to confirm these findings in more diverse populations, understand the biological mechanisms linking loneliness and valve degeneration, and test whether interventions that reduce loneliness can lower the risk of valvular heart disease,” Wei said.

Study details, background and design:

• Data for 462,917 adults participating in the UK Biobank were included in this study. Participants’ median age was 58 years; 45% were men, 55% were women; and 95% were white adults.
• All participants were free of valvular heart disease when they enrolled in the UK Biobank, and they were followed for a median of 13.9 years.
• Loneliness was assessed by asking if respondents often felt lonely and how often they were able to confide in others. Questions about social isolation focused on the frequency of physical interactions. Researchers separated high-risk loneliness as feeling lonely and never confiding in others, vs. high-risk social isolation, which was defined as living alone, having less than once-a-month contact with family or friends, and not participating in any social or leisure activities.
• Participants with higher loneliness scores tended to be male and to have lower educational attainment. They also exhibited less favorable lifestyle profiles, including high rates of current smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy sleep patterns and low dietary scores.
• Medical records were tracked for reported incidence of valvular heart disease.
• Genetic information and family history were obtained from blood samples, and participants completed the loneliness questionnaire during their first visit to a UK Biobank assessment center.

Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the manuscript.

Studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of release link.
• After April 15, 2026, view the manuscript online.
• American Heart Association health information: Understanding Heart Valve Disease
• American Heart Association news release: Social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of death from heart attack, stroke (Aug. 2022)
• American Heart Association news release: Social isolation and loneliness linked to increased risk of CVD in post-menopausal women (May 2021)
• Follow American Heart Association/American Stroke Association news on X @HeartNews
• Follow news from the Journal of the American Heart Association @JAHA_AHA

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and American Heart Association Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173

Bridgette McNeill: Bridgette.McNeill@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

Aspectos destacados de la declaración:

• Mantener patrones alimenticios saludables a lo largo de la vida puede reducir el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares y otros problemas de salud crónicos, de acuerdo con la última actualización de la guía alimentaria que se ofrece en la nueva declaración científica de la American Heart Association.
• En la guía, se hace énfasis en un patrón alimentario rico en verduras, frutas y granos integrales con menos azúcar, sal y comidas ultraprocesadas, y se priorizan las proteínas de origen vegetal como las legumbres, incluidos los frijoles, las arvejas y las lentejas, así como también las semillas y los frutos secos.
• La actualización aparece en un momento crucial, ya que en EE. UU. la mitad de los adultos padecen alguna enfermedad cardiovascular, debido en parte a las altas tasas de factores de riesgo de salud, como la presión arterial alta, la diabetes y la obesidad, que usualmente se relacionan con ciertos estilos de vida, en particular con los malos hábitos alimenticios y la falta de actividad física.

Prohibida su divulgación hasta las 4 a. m. CT/5 a. m. ET, martes 31 de marzo del 2026

DALLAS, 31 de marzo del 2026 — Más de la mitad de los adultos y alrededor del 60% de los niños en EE. UU. tienen dietas poco saludables, lo que puede contribuir a un aumento en los factores de riesgo para la salud, como la presión arterial alta y la obesidad, y provocar directamente resultados negativos en la salud, incluidos la muerte por enfermedades cardiovasculares (sitio web en inglés) y otras enfermedades crónicas, según la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés). Seguir un patrón de alimentación saludable a lo largo de la vida puede reducir significativamente el riesgo y es la base para la actualización de la declaración científica, en la que se reflexiona sobre las últimas guías de nutrición que se publicaron hoy en Circulation (sitio web en inglés), la principal revista médica revisada por expertos de la American Heart Association, una fuerza global que está cambiando el futuro de la salud para todos.

La guía alimentaria del 2026 para mejorar la salud cardiovascular: una declaración científica de la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés) actualiza las guías de la Asociación del 2021 con los últimos hallazgos científicos basados en la evidencia orientados a reducir el riesgo de las enfermedades cardiovasculares, mejorar la calidad de vida y salvar vidas. En la declaración, se mencionan nueve características clave de un patrón alimentario cardiosaludable:

1. Ajuste la ingesta y el gasto energético para lograr y mantener un peso saludable: procure equilibrar la cantidad de alimentos que consume con su nivel de actividad física para poder lograr y mantener un peso saludable.
2. Consuma una gran cantidad de frutas y verduras y elija una amplia variedad: incluya diferentes colores, texturas y tipos de frutas y verduras, y recuerde que incluso las opciones enlatadas o congeladas pueden ser nutritivas y económicas.
3. Elija alimentos hechos mayormente con granos integrales en lugar de granos refinados: los alimentos como el pan integral, el arroz integral y la avena son mejores opciones que los granos refinados, incluidos el pan blanco y el arroz blanco.
4. Elija fuentes de proteína más saludables: cambie la carne por fuentes de proteína de origen vegetal como las legumbres, los frijoles, las arvejas y las lentejas, además de frutos secos y semillas; consuma regularmente pescado y mariscos; elija productos lácteos semidescremados o descremados y si desea carne roja, elija cortes magros, evite carnes procesadas y limite el tamaño de la porción.
5. Elija fuentes de grasas insaturadas en lugar de fuentes de grasas saturadas: reemplace las grasas saturadas con grasas insaturadas saludables como las provenientes de los frutos secos, las semillas, los aguacates y los aceites de plantas no tropicales.
6. Elija alimentos poco procesados en lugar de ultraprocesados: consuma alimentos cercanos a su estado natural, con pocos productos comerciales agregados, en lugar de aquellos ultraprocesados con aditivos.
7. Minimice el consumo de azúcares agregados en bebidas y alimentos: limite el consumo de las bebidas endulzadas con azúcar y de los alimentos con azúcar agregado.
8. Elija alimentos con poco sodio y prepare las comidas con poca sal o sin ella: tenga en cuenta las fuentes de sodio ocultas en los alimentos preparados y envasados comercialmente y sazone su comida con opciones más saludables como hierbas, especias o limón en lugar de sal.
9. Si no consume alcohol, no comience a consumirlo, si consume alcohol, limite la ingesta: el alcohol puede incrementar el riesgo de presión arterial alta y otras enfermedades, así que si no bebe, no comience a hacerlo.

“Como una fuente confiable la American Heart Association publica una guía alimentaria basada en la evidencia, aproximadamente cada cinco años, y lleva a cabo una revisión compleja que evoluciona junto con la investigación emergente. Nuestra guía del 2026 puede parecer familiar, ya que no ha cambiado mucho desde las recomendaciones del 2021”, indicó Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., FAHA, presidenta voluntaria del comité de redacción de las declaraciones científicas, científica sénior y líder de la Directiva de Dieta y Prevención de Enfermedades Crónicas en el Centro de Investigación en Nutrición Humana sobre el Envejecimiento Jean Mayer del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés) en la Universidad Tufts, en Boston. “Encontramos que la evidencia que apoya las guías se ha fortalecido. La evidencia más sólida da lugar a algunas actualizaciones sutiles, pero importantes, que aseguran que la guía permanece alineada con la evidencia científica más actual y sólida sobre la dieta y la salud cardiovascular”.

La guía alimentaria del 2026 es una declaración más concisa y está específicamente enfocada en la alimentación para la salud cardíaca. La evidencia más reciente respalda las características clave y pone el énfasis en el cambio de elecciones no saludables por otras más saludables. Destaca las fuentes saludables de proteínas y de grasas insaturadas y refuerza la importancia de un patrón alimentario cardiosaludable a lo largo de la vida.

Las especificaciones incluyen lo siguiente:

• Proteína: mientras la evidencia sobre la relación entre la cantidad de proteína que se ingiere con el riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas es aún incierta, la guía actualizada del 2026 reconoce que la mayoría de las personas consumen más proteína proveniente de la carne que de origen vegetal. Debido a esto la guía actualmente respalda múltiples opciones saludables de fuentes de proteína, incluye fuentes ricas en proteínas de origen vegetal y fomenta el reemplazo de las carnes rojas por distintas fuentes de proteína, tanto vegetales como animales.
• Grasa saturada: la guía previa se enfocaba especialmente en el uso de aceites vegetales líquidos en lugar de grasa animal, aceites tropicales o grasas hidrogenadas de manera parcial (grasas trans). La actualización del 2026, en cambio, proporciona una guía más amplia en la elección de fuentes alimentarias de grasas insaturadas por sobre las fuentes de grasas saturadas. En la declaración, también se destaca que “los patrones alimentarios que cumplen las nueve características descritas en este documento difícilmente exceden el 10% de la energía de grasas saturadas”; en línea con las Pautas alimentarias para los estadounidenses del período 2025-2030 que publicó el Gobierno federal.
• Lácteos: aunque aún se recomiendan los productos lácteos semidescremados o descremados como opción preferida para controlar la ingesta de calorías y grasas, la guía actualizada reconoce que los posibles beneficios de salud de estos productos comparados con los productos lácteos enteros continúan en debate.
• Alimentos ultraprocesados: las investigaciones actuales relacionan el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados con resultados negativos en la salud. La guía actualizada hace hincapié en que se debe hacer el esfuerzo de fomentar la elección de alimentos mínimamente procesados, como un enfoque para desviar el mercado de las comidas ultraprocesadas. El resultado podría ser un incremento en la disponibilidad de opciones mínimamente procesadas en donde sea que las personas coman o compren alimentos.
• Sodio: aunque se reconoce que muchos alimentos, particularmente los ultraprocesados, son altos en sodio, la guía del 2026 pone más énfasis en la elección de alimentos bajos en sodio y en preparar las comidas con poca o nada de sal. También incluye información más actual sobre la función que desempeñan los alimentos ricos en potasio en el control de la presión arterial, comparado con lo que se sabía en el 2021.
• Alcohol: la nueva guía contempla que el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los Estados Unidos y la Organización Mundial de la Salud reconocen que no hay un nivel seguro de consumo de alcohol cuando se refiere al riesgo de padecer ciertos tipos de cáncer; la guía actualizada de la Asociación presenta la evidencia actual, ya que se relaciona con las enfermedades cardiovasculares y respalda las recomendaciones de no comenzar a beber alcohol o de limitar su consumo, si ya se consumía previamente.

El progreso por sobre la perfección

La guía alimentaria del 2026 se enfoca en la relación específica de su estado de salud y lo que come. Sin embargo, Lichtenstein mencionó que es importante reconocer que no es ni prescriptiva ni restrictiva. Está intencionalmente diseñada para proporcionar flexibilidad a fin de poder personalizar un patrón alimentario saludable que se acomode a las preferencias personales, etnia y prácticas religiosas, necesidades personales, presupuestos y etapas variadas de la vida. Ella agrega que este es el mejor enfoque para fomentar que se haga de por vida.

“Para que la alimentación saludable sea más factible y sostenible, les recomendamos que se enfoquen en un patrón general de alimentación en vez de en nutrientes o alimentos específicos. Este enfoque es viable, es algo que se puede modificar mientras las personas pasan por distintas etapas de sus vidas, siempre y cuando se adhieran a las nueve características clave. “La guía se puede aplicar en donde sea que coma: en casa, en la escuela, en el trabajo, en restaurantes o en su comunidad. Se recomienda buscar el progreso en vez de la perfección. Cada vez que elija hacer el cambio a una alternativa más saludable, usted está dando un paso hacia una vida más saludable”.

Una vida de alimentación saludable: por qué es importante

Lichtenstein destaca que lo más importante es hacer elecciones más saludables que puedan ser sostenibles a lo largo de la vida.

“Las enfermedades cardiovasculares comienzan a una edad temprana, hasta los factores prenatales pueden contribuir a aumentar el riesgo en los niños durante su crecimiento. Así que es importante que los hábitos alimenticios saludables se incorporen en la niñez y continúen durante toda la vida”, expresó. “La mejor manera de hacerlo es que los adultos sean el modelo a seguir y muestren patrones de alimentación saludable tanto dentro como fuera del hogar”.

La guía actualizada del 2026 recomienda lo siguiente:

• Los niños pueden y deben comenzar un patrón de alimentación cardiosaludable en el primer año de vida.
• Las familias desempeñan una función muy importante; cuando los adultos llenan el hogar con alimentos cardiosaludables, es muy probable que los niños hagan lo mismo.
• Las necesidades alimenticias varían a lo largo de la vida y pueden cambiar; trabaje con su médico y su equipo de cuidados de salud para que adapten estas recomendaciones a sus necesidades de salud individuales y sus antecedentes médicos.
• Los patrones alimentarios cardiosaludables son adaptables a la cultura y las preferencias alimentarias de cada persona.

De acuerdo con las estadísticas sobre enfermedades cardíacas y derrames cerebrales (ataques cerebrales) del 2026 (sitio web en inglés), más de la mitad de los adultos en EE. UU. padecen actualmente algún tipo de enfermedad cardiovascular. La Asociación proyecta que el número subirá a 6 de cada 10 adultos estadounidenses para el 2050 , debido al aumento en las tasas de factores de riesgo como la presión arterial alta, la obesidad y la diabetes.

Además de tener malos hábitos alimentarios, la mayoría de las personas en EE. UU. no hacen la cantidad de actividad física adecuada.

• Además, en las estadísticas del 2026 de la Asociación se evidenció que solo 1 de cada 4 adultos estadounidenses y 1 de cada 5 jóvenes de 6 a 17 años cumplen con las recomendaciones para estar físicamente activos.

Esta combinación de hábitos alimentarios no saludables e inactividad física es probable que conduzca a altas tasas de sobrepeso y obesidad en adultos y niños.

• Más del 40% de los adultos y 1 de cada 5 niños (de 2 a 19 años) tienen obesidad y se proyecta que esas cifras aumenten, de acuerdo con los pronósticos de la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés).

“Estas tasas son alarmantes y refuerzan que una vida de hábitos alimentarios saludables es crucial porque la presión arterial alta y la obesidad son las principales causas de enfermedades crónicas y muerte. Cuando se reflexiona sobre nuestra labor para mejorar la salud de todas las personas, es crucial entender la necesidad de implementar la prevención desde etapas tempranas”, indicó Amit Khera, M.D., FAHA, vicepresidente voluntario del comité de redacción de las guías alimentarias y director de cardiología preventiva y clínica y jefe de cardiología en el Centro Médico Southwestern de la Universidad de Texas en Dallas. “Las elecciones intencionales en todas las etapas de la vida pueden hacer una gran diferencia. Los padres y otros adultos pueden fomentar y modelar los comportamientos saludables en general de sus hijos para que tengan un comienzo saludable”.

Khera observó que hasta un 80% de las enfermedades cardíacas y los ataques o derrames cerebrales se pueden evitar y que seguir las guías de estilo de vida saludable Life’s Essential 8™ de la American Heart Association puede ayudar a esos esfuerzos de prevención. Life's Essential 8 es un conjunto de cuatro conductas de salud (comer mejor, ser más activo, dejar el tabaco y dormir bien) y cuatro factores de salud (controlar el peso, controlar el colesterol, controlar el azúcar en sangre y controlar la presión arterial) que son medidas clave para mejorar y mantener la salud cardiovascular.

“Integrar los elementos de la guía alimentaria del 2026 en su vida diaria es un excelente primer paso hacia la reducción y, más importante, la prevención del riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas y de ataque o derrame cerebral para usted y su familia durante los próximos años”, expresó.

Más allá de la salud cardiovascular

La guía alimentaria del 2026 proporciona beneficios adicionales, más allá de la ayuda a la salud cardiovascular.

Un patrón alimentario cardiosaludable también proporciona una combinación de alimentos y bebidas que:

• Cumplen con los requerimientos nutricionales fundamentales de la mayoría de las personas en cuanto a las vitaminas y los minerales cruciales y otros componentes que promueven la salud. Esto significa que la mayoría de las personas no necesitarían calcular que proporción de cada nutriente está presente en su dieta o sus suplementos alimenticios, con posibles excepciones como mujeres embarazadas, adultos mayores y quienes sigan dietas restrictivas.
• Son ricos en fibras saludables que provienen de las verduras, las frutas, los granos integrales, los frutos secos, las semillas y las legumbres, incluidos los frijoles, las arvejas y las lentejas.
• Limita la cantidad de alimentos con colesterol alimentario alto mediante el reemplazo de las carnes grasosas y procesadas por fuentes de proteína vegetal o magra, además de la sustitución de los lácteos enteros por lácteos descremados o semidescremados, mientras se permite el consumo de huevos moderadamente.
• Ayudan a que se mantenga el consumo de grasas saturadas diarios en un 10% o menos de las calorías diarias.

Aunque la guía actualizada está específicamente diseñada para mejorar la salud cardiovascular, por lo general, coincide con las recomendaciones alimentarias para otras afecciones como la diabetes tipo 2, las enfermedades renales, algunos tipos cáncer y el bienestar del cerebro. Esto se debe en gran medida a los factores de riesgo que repercuten en la salud física y la salud cognitiva, como la presión arterial alta, el colesterol alto, el nivel alto de azúcar en la sangre, el exceso de peso y la insuficiencia renal; todos se ven impactados por la alimentación.

“Lo que ingrese en su cuerpo tendrá repercusiones importantes en cómo funciona y cambia a medida que envejece”, mencionó Lichtenstein. “Un patrón alimentario saludable puede favorecer la salud y el bienestar a lo largo de la vida, más allá de la salud cardiovascular”.

Abordando el problema

La American Heart Association continúa abordando de manera enérgica la raíz de la mala alimentación, incluida la inseguridad alimentaria, a través del apoyo de políticas públicas basadas en la evidencia, inversiones en la comunidad e innovaciones en el cuidado de la salud. Las iniciativas específicas son las que se mencionan a continuación:

• Informar la definición de comidas ultraprocesadas aplicado como política pública.
• Apoyar el desarrollo de un sistema de etiquetado nutricional en la parte frontal y un ícono “saludable” en el empaquetado de alimentos.
• Esfuerzos de apoyo a nivel federal, estatal y local con el objetivo de promover el acceso de alimentos saludables y desalentar el consumo de bebidas azucaradas (sitio web en inglés) para mejorar la igualdad alimentaria.
• Promover el aumento de fondos para la investigación de ciencias de la nutrición, como estudios sobre el uso de los alimentos como medicina en Los Institutos Nacionales de la Salud.
• A través de la iniciativa Health Care by Food™ (sitio web en inglés) y de The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)^® (sitio web en inglés), la Asociación está mejorando su comprensión del papel fundamental que la alimentación saludable tiene en la prevención y el tratamiento de enfermedades crónicas.
• La Asociación está expandiendo su impacto a nivel comunitario e invirtiendo en organizaciones locales a través de Social Impact Fund de la American Heart Association, como el Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund (sitio web en inglés), para aumentar el acceso a alimentos saludables y económicos en comunidades con pocos recursos.‑

“Juntos, estos esfuerzos complementan la nueva guía alimentaria de la Asociación que ayuda a que más personas puedan acceder de manera constante a alimentos saludables y beneficiarse de una dieta cardiosaludable”, indicó Khera.

A fin de obtener más información sobre una alimentación saludable para el corazón y el cerebro, visite heart.org/healthydiet y hable con su proveedor de cuidados de salud sobre qué es lo mejor en su caso.

Un grupo de redacción voluntario preparó esta declaración científica en nombre de la American Heart Association. Las declaraciones científicas de la American Heart Association promueven una mayor conciencia sobre los problemas causados por las enfermedades cardiovasculares y los ataques o derrames cerebrales, y ayudan a facilitar las decisiones fundamentadas sobre los cuidados de salud. En las declaraciones científicas, se describe lo que se conoce actualmente sobre un tema y las áreas que necesitan investigación adicional. Si bien en las declaraciones científicas se informa el desarrollo de las pautas, no constituyen recomendaciones de tratamiento. Las pautas de la American Heart Association proporcionan las recomendaciones oficiales de la práctica clínica de la Asociación.

Los coautores son Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA; Lawrence J. Appel, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA; Dana M. DeSilva, Ph.D., R.D.; Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., FAHA; Frank B. Hu, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA; Daniel W. Jones, M.D., FAHA y Kristina S. Petersen, Ph.D., FAHA. Las declaraciones de los autores se encuentran en el artículo.

La Asociación recibe más de un 85% de sus ingresos de fuentes que no son empresas. Estas fuentes incluyen contribuciones de personas particulares, fundaciones y patrimonios, así como ganancias por inversiones e ingresos por la venta de nuestros materiales informativos. Las empresas (incluidas las farmacéuticas, los fabricantes de dispositivos y otras compañías) también realizan donaciones a la Asociación. La Asociación tiene políticas estrictas para evitar que las donaciones influyan en el contenido científico y en las posturas de sus políticas. La información financiera general está disponible aquí (sitio web en inglés).

Más de 8 de cada 10 adultos (un 82%) en EE. UU. confían en que la American Heart Association proporciona información confiable sobre salud pública, según una reciente encuesta del Annenberg Policy Center (sitio web en inglés). La Asociación se ubicó en el segundo lugar, solo después de un proveedor de cuidados de salud de cada persona.

Recursos adicionales:

• Vídeos de entrevistas con la Dr. Josiemer Mattei la presidenta electa voluntaria del comité de nutrición de la Asociación y más contenido multimedia encuentran en la columna derecha del vínculo del comunicado.
• Comunicado de prensa en inglés
• Después de las 4 a. m. CT/5 a. m. ET, martes 31 de marzo del 2026, consulte el artículo en línea (sitio web en inglés).
• Información de salud de la American Heart Association: Alimentación saludable
• Información de la salud de la American Heart Association: Revise estas recetas saludables y deliciosas que hacen que comer sano sea fácil y agradable
• Declaración científica de la American Heart Association: El exceso de alimentos ultraprocesados (UPF, por sus siglas en inglés) y la mala nutrición se relacionan con una salud deficiente
• Comunicado de prensa de la American Heart Association: Nuevas guías alimentarias resaltan la importancia de la alimentación saludable | American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés)
• Siga las noticias de la American Heart Association/American Stroke Association en X en @HeartNews
• Siga las noticias de Circulation, la principal revista científica de la American Heart Association en X en @CircAHA.

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Acerca de la American Heart Association

La American Heart Association es una fuerza incansable para un mundo de vidas más largas y saludables. La organización ha sido una fuente líder de información sobre salud durante más de cien años y su objetivo es garantizar la equidad en la salud en todas las comunidades. Con el apoyo de más de 35 millones de voluntarios en todo el mundo, financiamos investigaciones vanguardistas, defendemos la salud pública y proporcionamos recursos fundamentales para salvar y mejorar vidas afectadas por enfermedades cardiovasculares y ataques o derrames cerebrales. Trabajamos incansablemente para hacer avanzar la salud y transformar vidas cada día mediante el impulso de avances y la implementación de soluciones comprobadas en las áreas de ciencia, políticas y cuidados.  Comuníquese con nosotros en heart.org (sitio web en inglés), Facebook o X, o llame al 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Para consultas de los medios de comunicación: 214-706-1173

Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org 

Para consultas públicas: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org y derramecerebral.org