The American Heart Association, supported by Bayer, has launched Primary Care Perspectives, a new platform designed to help primary care professionals recognize heart failure risk earlier and manage cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic (CKM) conditions more effectively. With nearly 7 million people in the United States living with heart failure—a number expected to rise—the initiative addresses the overlapping risks of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance, which often progress to heart failure years before symptoms appear.
Primary care professionals are often the first point of contact for at-risk patients, yet they face barriers such as limited time, fragmented guidance, and underused screening tools. The platform aims to provide practical education and resources that reflect the realities of everyday primary care, supporting earlier identification and management of CKM risk. Eduardo Sanchez, MD, MPH, FAHA, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association, emphasized that Primary Care Perspectives was created to help clinicians recognize risk earlier and support patients before heart failure becomes more difficult to prevent or manage.
The platform's first initiative, Heart Failure in Primary Care, focuses on identifying and managing risk factors connected to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). Despite established guidelines, many eligible patients hospitalized with heart failure do not receive guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) at discharge. Earlier identification in primary care could improve long-term outcomes and reduce preventable disease progression.
Bayer’s support underscores the importance of this initiative. Robert Perkins, M.D., M.P.H., FACP, vice president of U.S. medical affairs cardiovascular and renal at Bayer, noted that heart failure places a significant burden on patients, caregivers, and health systems, and this initiative will help primary care professionals identify risk earlier and support timely care. The three-year initiative is intended for clinicians caring for patients across the CKM continuum, especially those with early risk factors or at risk for heart failure.
The first educational webinar, Early Diagnosis and Initial Management of Heart Failure in Primary Care, will launch on June 29, 2026. Offerings will include a core curriculum, practical screening tools, professional education and certification opportunities, resources for shared decision-making, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. Additional resources include the 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure and the Heart Failure in Primary Care - Professional Heart Daily page.
This initiative represents a critical step in addressing the growing burden of heart failure by equipping primary care providers with the tools needed to identify and manage risk earlier, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing disease progression.
