Tag West Alabama Cardiovascular Health Program

Alabama has one of the highest rates of hypertension in the nation, ranking 47th overall. Approximately 42.7% of the population has been diagnosed with high blood pressure—10 percentage points higher than the national average. The West Alabama Cardiac Health (WACH) program operates in nine counties with the goal of improving cardiovascular health and reducing rates…

Heart health is especially important during pregnancy due to the significant increase in blood volume and hormonal changes. Pregnancy places added stress on all major organs—particularly the heart. Two common cardiovascular-related complications during pregnancy are pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension. Alarming data from a recent study (Chen et al., 2025) shows that Alabama has the highest…