A year after the American Heart Association and American Medical Association launched Target: BP, more than 400 medical practices, providers and health systems are now participating in the joint national initiative to reduce the number of American adults who die from heart attacks and strokes each year.
One in three American adults -- about 80 million people -- has high blood pressure, and according to the AMA that number is steadily climbing, despite the fact that high blood pressure can be treated easily using evidence-based guidelines. The available body of evidence shows that high blood pressure is a contributing factor to many major health conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure.
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Collectively the Target: BP participants will work together with the AHA and AMA to try to improve the nation's current national blood pressure control rate of 54 percent.
Specifically, they'll work to achieve that control using the latest AHA guidelines on high blood pressure.
During its annual Scientific Sessions conference this week, the AHA is recognizing 68 healthcare providers, groups and clinics as early adopters of the program.
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While fewer Americans are dying from heart disease and stroke, the death rate caused by high blood pressure is on the rise, increasing 13 percent between 2001 and 2011, the AMA said. High blood pressure is also associated with significant economic impact, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $46 billion annually in healthcare services, medications and missed days of work.
Among other efforts to curb these kinds of deaths is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Million Hearts initiative, which is aimed at preventing one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.
"Improving blood pressure control rates will save many more lives," said AMA President Andrew W. Gurman in a statement. "Even a 10 percent increase in the number of people successfully treated for hypertension would lead to the prevention of an additional 14,000 deaths each year. That is exactly why we launched our Target: BP initiative, to improve health outcomes and save thousands of lives."
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