Live Events Promote Heart Health
Live to the Beat is the CDC Foundation’s national campaign aimed at helping adults reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. This initiative encourages small, everyday actions—like moving more, eating healthier, managing stress and quitting smoking—as steps people can take to reduce their personal risks for heart attack or stroke.
Since the campaign launched in 2022, the CDC Foundation has hosted four free, in-person Live to the Beat events, inviting the local community to get tips and support putting these small steps into action in their everyday lives. Attendees engage directly with local clinicians and health and wellness experts in a fun, welcoming environment—featuring a broad range of heart-healthy activities throughout the day. Attendees also hear relatable personal stories and receive practical tips that make heart health feel accessible and part of their everyday rhythm.
“When we meet people where they are and make heart health feel doable, we’re not just sharing information—we're inspiring action,” said Live to the Beat Campaign Director Ginger Williford. “That’s what Live to the Beat is all about—small steps that make a big difference.”
This year, Live to the Beat events focused on hypertension awareness and control. These events, called “Low Pressure Parties,” took place in Atlanta and Birmingham to connect with priority communities in each area. At each event, attendees could:
- Get their blood pressure checked
- Engage with wellness vendors
- Join yoga sessions and 15-minute workouts
- Relax with chair massages from local therapists
- Watch (and taste!) heart-healthy cooking demos by professional chefs
- Complete steps for a chance to win a Vitamix blender
A critical educational component of the events were the ‘Heart Talks’ that featured local doctors and relatable patient stories. Each Heart Talk covered topics like:
- Hypertension and Women: What Every Woman Should Know
- Pressure Check: What Your Body is Trying to Tell You
- Medication vs. Lifestyle: You May Require Both
- Why Hypertension Often Goes Undiagnosed
- Stress and Blood Pressure: How Your Mind Affects Your Heart
Several long-time partners helped make these events a success including the American Heart Association, Association of Black Cardiologists, Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), Grady Health Atlanta and the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB). Additionally, these events would not have been possible without the support and collaboration from our partners at AstraZeneca.
Looking ahead, lessons from these events will inform a new round of activities planned for 2026, supporting the launch of a National Hypertension Campaign which is currently in development.
