An Effective Approach to High Blood Pressure Control

Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, hypertension and heart failure, along with stroke, continue to be leading causes of death in the United States. 1, 2 Hypertension currently affects nearly 78 million* adults in the United States and is also a major modifiable risk factor for other cardiovascular diseases and stroke. 1 According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES) in 2007-2010, 81. 5% of those with hypertension are aware they have it, and 74. 9% are being treated but only 52. 5% are under control, with significant variation across different patient subgroups. 1, 34]56 Of those with uncontrolled hypertension, 89. 4% reported having a usual source of health care, and 85. 2% reported having health insurance. 7This is the current status, despite the fact that therapies to lower blood pressure and associated risks of cardiovascular events and death have been available for decades and various education and quality improvement efforts have been targeted at patients and healthcare providers. The direct and indirect costs of hypertension are enormous, considering the number of patients and their families impacted as well as the healthcare dollars spent on treatment and blood pressure-related complications. 8Currently, hypertension affects 46% of patients with known cardiovascular disease, 72% of those who have suffered a stroke, and was listed as a primary or contributing cause in approximately 15% of the 2. 4 million deaths in 2009. 1 In 2008, the total estimated direct and indirect cost of hypertension was estimated at 69. 9 billion. 8Thus, it is imperative to identify, disseminate and implement more effective approaches to achieve optimal control of this condition. This is an open access article under the terms of the