A standard method for measuring blood pressure in the Americas

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a silent but dangerous disease affecting an estimated 140 million men and women of all ethnic backgrounds in the Americas (1). This condition results in disability and millions of premature deaths each year from stroke and heart disease, heart failure, and kidney failure. It is estimated that strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failures resulting from hypertension comprise more than half the mortality in the Americas. These diseases cause untold suffering and lead to major social impacts, economic losses, and reduced productivity in every nation in the Western Hemisphere (2).