
Start With Your Heart
Ultimate Medical Academy is a nonprofit allied healthcare school centered around care. From educating students to equipping graduates to contribute to filling the healthcare gap in their respective communities, our learners are the heart of UMA. In 2024, UMA continues its partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA), supporting the charge toward heart-healthy communities through education.
Heart disease was the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. in 20211, affecting nearly half of the adult population.
As part of the partnership, we've developed this page to provide educational resources that can support a heart healthy lifestyle.
Through good healthcare for ourselves and others, we believe we can strive towards living longer, healthier, happier lives. Together, let's start with your heart!
Take the heart-health quiz and learn tips on how to care for your heart.

Heart Health Quiz
Take the heart health quiz and based on your answer, you’ll learn some useful tips on how to care for your heart.
What You'll Find On This Page?
- Articles from the AHA, highlighting important health topics like how to identify cardiac arrest vs. heart attacks and how exercising and managing stress can reduce risk of heart-related disease.
- Heart-Check certified2 recipe section full of meals that meet the AHA's specific nutritional requirements.
Heart Health Articles
Heart Healthy Recipes
American Heart Association's specific nutritional requirements. Articles from the American Heart Association.

Heart Disease
The No. 1 cause of death in the United States

874,613
Deaths caused by cardiovascular disease in the United States

In one year alone, 436,000 Americans die from a cardiac arrest

Every 36.1 seconds
Someone dies of cardiovascular disease in the United States, on average

73.4%
The location of Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA) most often occurs in homes/residences

12.5 million
Adults struggle with hypertension
The American Heart Association Heart-Check Food Certification Program is designed to help consumers make informed choices about the foods they purchase. The nutrition requirements are food-based and intended for healthy people over age 2. The Heart-Check program is not a dietary solution for any condition or disease. People with medical conditions or dietary restrictions should follow the advice of their healthcare professionals. The American Heart Association Heart-Check Food Certification Program is not endorsed in any way by ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳, Inc. or its divisions.
Sources
Citations
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center of Health Statistics. Leading Causes of Death.
2 Heart-Check Certified Recipes,