Key points
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.—yet it can often be prevented.
- CVS Health is helping people stay heart healthy with convenient preventive screenings, lifestyle support and primary care.
- We’re also making it simpler for people with heart disease to stay on track with their care plans.
Originally published on CVS Health Company News
Every 34 seconds, someone in the U.S. loses their life to heart disease. But with the right care, it can be prevented and managed.
In a recent article, we shared why it’s critical to prioritize heart health as part of overall care. To prevent heart disease from progressing or even occurring in the first place, people need regular access to care providers, screenings and ongoing management. Unfortunately, for many Americans, that isn’t the reality.
CVS Health is making preventive heart health care, early risk detection and ongoing condition management more accessible.
Primary care and screenings to support heart health
Regular screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are important for catching issues early. People who are at risk of heart failure, including older adults and those with multiple chronic conditions, may also need monitoring for abnormal heart rhythms and changes in heart structure and function.
However, with a growing shortage of primary care providers in the U.S., more than one-third of Americans don’t have consistent access for these important health screenings. Primary care providers are often patients’ main source of ongoing preventive care, screenings and referrals to specialists, including cardiologists. That’s why CVS Health is focused on making it easier for people to access services that can help them prioritize prevention.
Personalized weight loss and lifestyle support
Excess weight can put strain on the heart and cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes—all of which increase the risk of heart disease. In the U.S., 71% of adults have an unhealthy weight, and about 42% have obesity. Losing weight is often challenging, but coaching and nutritional guidance can help people set realistic goals, develop and stick to a plan.
Smoking is another risk factor that contributes to one in four deaths from heart disease. Similar to losing weight, quitting smoking alone can be difficult—less than one in ten people who try to quit on their own are successful.
Routine screenings and heart-healthy lifestyle choices are key to preventing heart problems. If you have heart disease, you likely need regular check-ups and prescription medications. It can be challenging to stay on track. That’s why people need convenient access to clinicians they can trust, which is what we’re focused on at CVS Health.
—Sree Chaguturu, MD, President of Health Care Delivery at CVS Health
How CVS Health Care Delivery helps people stay on track
From prevention and lifestyle support to care coordination, the three businesses in CVS Health Care Delivery are helping people with their heart health every step of the way.
MinuteClinic®
- For patients enrolled in MinuteClinic primary care, available in select markets, heart health is a key part of our focus on prevention and chronic condition management. We also offer preventive screenings and condition monitoring services for patients with or without primary care providers.
- The MinuteClinic Weight-Loss Program, available at our clinics and through video visits, gives patients tools to help them along their weight-loss journeys. Providers can prescribe weight-loss medications for patients who meet eligibility criteria. Within the first four months, 85% of patients who completed at least three visits lost some weight.
- MinuteClinic providers are also available in-person and virtually to help people quit tobacco and other nicotine-containing products through coaching, education and prescribing as appropriate.
Oak Street Health®
- At Oak Street Health, we deliver primary care tailored to older adults, emphasizing preventive heart health through personalized care plans, medication management, and in some cases, on-site services to manage conditions like high blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Our Oak Street Health providers are trained to give dietary education to patients who have diabetes and chronic heart failure.
- Most Oak Street Health locations offer exercise classes and wellness activities that are hosted in our community rooms. Patients also have access to virtual nutrition insights through our partnership with RubiconMD.
Signify Health®
- During In-Home Health Evaluations (IHEs), experienced clinicians assess plan members’ health risks and make recommendations to support their overall well-being – including lifestyle choices they can make to achieve better heart health.
- Plan members at risk for arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) may be eligible for continuous electrocardiogram (cECG) monitoring through an adhesive patch that measures electrical cardiac activity for 14 days. Results are shared with the member and their primary care provider for follow up support.
- Continuous monitoring has been shown to be more effective at detecting abnormal heart rhythms and more comfortable to wear than conventional Holter monitors. In 2025, ~80% of cECGs completed by Signify Health clinicians indicated presence of abnormal heart rhythms.
With over 1,000 primary care and walk-in clinics, virtual care options and over three-million In-Home Health Evaluations completed each year, MinuteClinic, Oak Street Health and Signify Health are equipping patients and members for better heart health.
CVS Health is also a proud national sponsor of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, raising awareness about the risk of heart disease among women.
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