‘Million Hearts Model’ reduces likelihood of first-time heart attack, stroke

Editor's Note

The Million Hearts Model program—an initiative to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes within 5 years—reduced the probability of a first-time myocardial infarction or stroke without significant changes in Medicare spending. The findings were published by JAMA Network on October 12.

The Million Hearts Model paid healthcare organizations to assess and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but its long-term outcomes were unknown. The study evaluated the model’s effects on first-time myocardial infarctions (MIs) and strokes, along with Medicare spending, over a period up to 5 years.

The trial ran from 2017 to 2021 and included 516 US-based primary care and specialty practices, health centers, and hospital-based outpatient clinics. Overall, 342 facilities entered patients into the study, which included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 40 to 79 years with no previous MI or stroke and with high or medium CVD risk.

The findings demonstrated that the Million Hearts Model reduced first-time MIs and strokes and support the use of risk scores for CVD primary prevention.