The American Heart Association (AHA) is pursuing an agenda to promote “health factors” that I think every practicing pharmacist can support. In our daily practice, we have opportunities to talk with patients about these factors, not just episodically, but over time. The message of AHA President Ralph Sacco, MS, MD, FAAN, FAHA—that the key to health is prevention and that collaboration is essential—resonates well with our mission. We can help promote the simple messages, as well as the complex ones that incorporate motivational interviewing. I’ve shared the link below to Sacco’s presidential address at AHA’s Scientific Sessions 2010 in Chicago, and I recommend that you check it out.

AHA’s seven health factors are ideal levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, nonsmoking, and appropriate weight, physical activity, and diet. As “life’s simple seven,” according to AHA, they lead to less cardiovascular disease and fewer strokes. In his presidential address on November 14, Sacco said, “We’re not only urging the avoidance of risk factors, in fact, we’re calling them ‘health factors,’ not risk factors. It may seem like semantics, but we believe that will motivate people to understand and embrace the benefits of healthy living. … I believe diet will be the toughest to achieve. In fact, our nutritionist and epidemiologist experts struggled to identify a realistic approach to diet.”