The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. They are known for publishing guidelines on cardiovascular disease and prevention, standards on basic life support, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), and in 2014 issued the first guidelines for preventing strokes in women. The American Heart Association is also known for operating a number of highly visible public service campaigns starting in the 1970s, and also operates several fundraising events.
Originally formed in Chicago in 1924, the American Heart Association is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It was originally headquartered in New York City. The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency. The mission of the organization, updated in 2018, is "To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives." The organization's work can be divided into five key areas: research; heart and brain health; equitable health; advocacy; and professional education and development.
History 1924–1980s
In 1924, cardiologists Paul Dudley White, Hugh D. McCulloch, Joseph Sailer, Robert H. Halsey, James B. Herrick, and Lewis A. Conner, formed the Association for the Prevention and Relief of Heart Disease as a professional society for doctors. In 1949, the American Heart Association received $1.5 million (equivalent to $17–20 million today) from individual listeners of a nationwide radio contest. The fundraiser, called The Walking Man, aired on the popular program Truth or Consequences, which was sponsored by Duz dishwashing liquid (a product of Procter & Gamble). More than two million letters were submitted by listeners, each averaging a donation of 70 cents. The outpouring of support marked a major turning point for the Association, enabling it to fund scientific research and launch national public health initiatives. Since 1949, it has funded over $6.1 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and brain health research. The organization, now known as the American Heart Association, consists of over 33 million volunteers who are dedicated to improving heart health and reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the American Heart Association published several reports and guidelines focused on recommended lifestyles to improve cardiovascular health. This included a 1957 report that said: (1) Diet may play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, (2) The fat content and total calories in the diet are probably important factors, (3) The ratio between saturated and unsaturated fat may be the basic determinant, and (4) A wide variety of other factors besides fat, both dietary and non-dietary, may be important.
In 1956, the American Heart Association issued its first scientific statement on smoking and heart disease, noting evidence of a possible link between tobacco use and cardiovascular deaths. The Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health, during the 1960s, later recorded that the AHA was among several medical organizations to publicly identify smoking as an important health hazard associated with heart and lung disease.
By 1961, these findings had been strengthened, leading to the new 1961 American Heart Association recommendations: (1) Maintain a correct body weight, (2) Engage in moderate exercise, e.g., walking to aid in weight reduction, (3) Reduce intake of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Increase intake of polyunsaturated fat, (4) Men with a strong family history of atherosclerosis should pay particular attention to diet modification, and (5) Dietary changes should be carried out under medical supervision. These recommendations continued to become more precise from 1957 to 1980, but there maintained "a general coherence among them".
In 1966, research supported by the American Heart Association provided evidence linking high blood pressure to reduced life expectancy and increased complications such as heart enlargement and vascular damage. The findings helped establish hypertension as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
1990s–2000s In 1994, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, an industry publication, released the results of the largest study of charitable and non-profit organization popularity and credibility. The study showed that the American Heart Association was ranked as the fifth "most popular charity/non-profit in America" of over 100 charities researched, with 95 percent of Americans over the age of 12 choosing the Love and Like A lot description categories."The Charities Americans Like Most And Least," The Chronicle of Philanthropy, December 13, 1996 and USA Today, December 20, 1994, "Charity begins with health", FINAL 01D
In 1998, the AHA created the American Stroke Association to help prevent strokes, improve treatments, and maximize recoveries. In 2003, the two organizations created the Get With the Guidelines (GWTG)-Stroke program. It is a voluntary registry that hospitals can use to receive the latest scientific treatment guidelines. The program also collects data on patient characteristics, hospital adherence to guidelines, and patient outcomes.
In 2004 the American Heart Association launched the "Go Red for Women" campaign specifically targeting women, with information about risks and action they can take to protect their health. All revenues from the local and national campaigns go to support awareness, research, education and community programs to benefit women.
In 2008, the AHA recommended "hands only" CPR as an option for bystanders who want to help keep a cardiac arrest victim alive. This method removes the practice of performing rescue breaths and depends solely on chest compressions.
On November 30, 2009, the American Heart Association announced a new cardiac arrest awareness campaign called Be the Beat. The campaign has sought to use fun ways to teach 12- to 15-year-olds the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The AHA has also taught them how to use an automated external defibrillator [AED].
2012–present: Recent events and activities
In 2012, the AHA renewed its focus on hands-only CPR by carrying out a national campaign to educate more people on how to perform this method. Jennifer Coolidge was a spokesperson for the campaign.
It also carried out a campaign in 2012 to educate more people on how to carry out hands-only CPR. The 2012 campaign, which began in New York City, had Jennifer Coolidge as the spokesperson.
In 2013, the American Heart Association issued a joint guideline recognizing obesity as a disease and recommending its treatment by weight loss.
In 2014, the American Heart Association issued its first guidelines for preventing strokes in women. Just as heart attack systems differ between men and women, men and women also face different stroke risks. For women, the guidelines for preventing strokes focus on factors such as birth control, pregnancy, and depression.
In 2015, the American Heart Association officially endorsed the Tobacco 21 campaign, urging local, state and national governments to raise the tobacco and nicotine sales age from 18 to 21.
In 2016, the American Heart Association, Verily Life Sciences, and AstraZeneca invested $75 million in the One Brave Idea program. The money was awarded to institutions researching new biomarkers, such as genetic and molecular factors, that put individuals at risk for atherosclerosis. It was hoped that the research would help the AHA reach its goals of increasing cardiovascular health by 20% and reducing cardiovascular mortality by 20% by 2020.
In November 2017, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, along with nine other professional groups, issued new guidelines lowering the threshold for diagnosing high blood pressure from 140/90 mm Hg to 130/80 mm Hg. The change, the first in fourteen years, was intended to help identify cardiovascular risks earlier and encourage intervention before medication is needed. The following year in 2018, the organizations jointly released updated cholesterol management guidelines recommending the use of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring by clinicians to determine proper management of plaque buildup.
In 2018, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology issued new guidelines for clinicians on the management of cholesterol as a way to reduce risk for heart attack and stroke. Newly included in the guidelines is a recommendation to use the coronary artery calcium score if healthcare providers are having difficulty deciding if a patient could benefit from statin medications or should focus solely on lifestyle modifications. The cholesterol guidelines were last updated in 2013.
In 2020 and 2021, the annual flagship meeting of the organization was held virtually owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed as an in-person conference in 2022.
In June 2024, the American Heart Association celebrated its 100 year anniversary of its founding. With the official celebration of its founding, the association was recognized as the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The association held CPR training, where in many places the first hundred or so people to participate in the 5-minute training were given take-home CPR kits.
In August 2025, the American Heart Association issued a science advisory on ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which reviewed research associating high consumption of ultra-processed foods with cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions. The advisory noted differences in the nutritional quality of foods classified as ultra-processed.
A 2026 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that the American Heart Association was the most trusted source of public health information after respondents' own physicians.
Focus areas Some of the American Heart Association's research, campaigns, and other work are included here.
Research Since 1949, the association has funded over $6.1 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and brain health research.
Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) In 2014, the American Heart Association announced the Strategically Focused Research Network initiative to address "key strategic issues as determined by the AHA Board of Directors." Some of the topics focused on by SFRNs include hypertension, heart failure, heart disease, and health technologies and innovation.
Heart and brain health
Go Red for Women The Go Red for Women campaign started in 2004 to raise awareness that women, and not only men, are vulnerable to heart disease. Between 2016 and 2021, the American Heart Association invested $20 million in the Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. The SFRN also received $52 million from the National Institutes of Health.
In 2017, the Go Red National Leadership Council was started to engage female executives in the campaign. Additional projects associated with the campaign include Research Goes Red and National Wear Red Day.
As of 2023, over 900,000 women have joined the campaign and receive updates on what they can do to improve their heart health. The campaign's social media channels had audiences of over 5.3 million in 2022.
Also in 2023, Miss America's Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)(3), announced a 3-year commitment supporting the American Heart Association's women's initiative, Go Red for Women®. This initiative raises funds and awareness of women's heart health and brings fitness initiatives back to the national Miss America competition stage after the swimsuit portion was scrapped in 2018.
Be the Beat The "Be the Beat" challenge encourages people to learn CPR.