Abstract P314: Blood Pressure Control Across the State of Alabama

Introduction: Alabama has the highest rate of death from cardiovascular disease among all 50 states. Along with common risk factors, hypertension remains one of the leading risk factors for development of CVD. The Alabama Cardiovascular Cooperative (ALCC) is a 3-year funded initiative to promote the coordination of Alabama-wide efforts to improve cardiovascular risk and reduce disparities through initiatives like the Heart Health Improvement Project (HHIP). Methods: The purpose of this analysis was to understand and establish baseline rates of HTN among adults living in Alabama who receive care in a clinic enrolled in the HHIP. Fifty primary care sites, a mix of federally qualified health centers (FQHC) and non-FQHCs were enrolled. At goal blood pressure was defined as mean SBP<140mmHg and DPB<90mmHg. Rates were estimated and differences tested using logistic regression with sites as random effects. Results: Among HHIP practices, 42 practices provided BP data from 39,368 patients (Table 1). Black patients with HTN were younger and had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Overall, 57.7% of patients had blood pressure at goal, 64.6% among Whites vs. 51.2% among Blacks (p<0.01). Conclusions: More than half of patients with a diagnosis of hypertension seen in clinics enrolled in the HHIP had blood pressure that was adequately controlled, but Black adults with hypertension had significantly lower total rates of controlled blood pressure when compared to White adults. Initiatives like the HHIP are needed to address the disparate outcomes faced by adults with hypertension living in Alabama.