Car-BP: Taking Hypertension Screening Beyond Clinics

In the United States, approximately half of adults have hypertension, defined as a clinic or office systolic or diastolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 130/80 mm Hg.1 According to the National Center for Health Statistics report in 2023, of the 119.9 million with hypertension in the United States, only 25% of adults have their BP under control.1 These numbers are concerning as hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and stroke. Moreover, studies continue to show that hypertension also affects brain health by increasing the risk of cerebral small vessel disease, cognitive impairment, and dementia.2 Recent findings from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension study reported the benefits of intensive BP control for reducing the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults.3 The impact of hypertension on health is evident, and proper diagnosis and control rates of BP are essential for healthy aging. Despite current efforts, novel strategies are still needed to improve hypertension detection and control.