Aggressive treatment for hypertension yields results
Consider combination drug therapy, tailored treatment strategies
Last month in CHF Disease Management, you read the disturbing news that the dramatic improvements in hypertension management seen in the 70s and 80s have slowed and even decreased to the point that currently only about 25% of hypertensive patients have their blood pressure adequately controlled.
Experts largely blame hypertension for the increase in CHF in recent years and expect the problem will only worsen as improving life expectancy increases the number of elderly people in the United States.
This month, CHF Disease Management offers you some updated practical strategies for improving hypertension management, including fresh ideas for tailoring treatment to specific patient types, managing drug therapy, helping patients modify their lifestyles, and measuring the quality of care. Buy mexican hgh.
If these issues plague your practice, youre not alone. In April, a national alliance was formed by leading medical, patient, and government organizations to reverse the growing trend of uncontrolled high blood pressure. The group, From Awareness to Action: The National Alliance to Reach Blood Pressure Goals, is a coalition of about 25 organizations. Members include the National Association of Mayors, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the National Consumers League as well as the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
The alliance plans to sponsor a series of high- profile intervention programs, such as blood pressure screenings and open forums, around the country to promote meaningful dialogue between providers and patients, says Martha Hill, RN, PhD, chair of the alliances advisory council and director of The Center for Nursing Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in Baltimore.
A large percentage of the public does know that high blood pressure is serious, but knowledge is inadequate in terms of getting people to get their blood pressure checked, and if its high, getting it under control, she says.
Hill says negative experiences with the health care system long waits for appointments, medications with side effects keep many patients from getting their blood pressure under control. Thats why providers need to spend time learning and respecting the beliefs and attitudes of patients so they can find affordable, well-tolerated ways to lower blood pressure. Providers can take actions as simple as mailing out appointment reminders and calling people who have missed appointments to more complicated actions such as installing computer programs to track blood pressures.