The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation’s Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM program is awarding a grant of $152,763 to Manna Ministries Inc. to support its Heart 2 Heart Initiative which works to improve cardiovascular health in a community. This is the second consecutive year in which Manna Ministries has received a grant from the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, totaling $305,526.

Heart 2 Heart serves uninsured and underinsured populations in southern Mississippi and Louisiana. The program aims to raise cardiovascular disease awareness, while improving the quality of care and patient education through community outreach and the delivery of screening, patient education, treatment and heart-healthy lifestyle support and education.

“We see firsthand every day the toll that heart disease is taking on our communities of our state and the Heart 2 Heart Initiative demonstrated positive results in our first year of the program. We are providing quality care in a comprehensive program with proven results, and will have a long-term impact on our state,” said Jameye Martin, executive director, Manna Ministries. “We are grateful to the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation for making this program possible.”

As a result of previous funding from the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, about half of 142 program participants lowered their triglycerides by an average of 40 points. Nearly 80 percent of a group of more than 40 participants with blood pressure higher than 140/90 reduced their blood pressure by the end of the program. In addition, upon beginning the program, only 20 percent of a group of more than 50 participants reported that they were trying to improve their diet, and by the end of the program, 89 percent reported that they were trying to improve their diet.

Source: BioSpace