A Nation of Hypertension Control Champions

"A Nation of Hypertension Control Champions

Since 2012, the Million Hearts^® Hypertension Control Champions have shared valuable lessons for clinicians, practices, and health systems that want to improve blood pressure control among their patients. Read on to learn how the Champions achieved their remarkable success in hypertension control. Find strategies that can work in your practice to prevent and manage hypertension and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Who Are the Hypertension Control Champions?

The Million Hearts^® Hypertension Control Challenge recognizes practices, clinicians, and health systems that have used creative strategies and evidence-based practices to achieve hypertension control rates of at least 80% for their patient populations. Since 2012, Million Hearts^® has recognized 101 Hypertension Control Champions across the nation for their excellence in meeting—and often exceeding—high benchmarks in blood pressure control.

From 2012-2017 Million Hearts^® recognized clinicians who had achieved hypertension control rates in their patient populations of at least 70%. Given the incredible successes in reaching this goal the benchmark was increased to an 80% control rate in 2018.

Hypertension Control Champions represent the breadth of the health care field, from small, independent, or rural practices to large urban health systems and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Champions use innovations in health information technology, patient communication, team-based care, and other strategies to reduce the risk of heart attack, heart disease, stroke, and other dangerous conditions for millions of people in the United States..."
Hypertension

Undiagnosed Hypertension

"Hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Millions of people with hypertension are seen by providers each year, but many remain undiagnosed—essentially “hiding in plain sight” within clinical settings.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects millions of Americans, and some have hypertension that is undiagnosed and untreated—they are "hiding in plain sight." Because hypertension rarely has symptoms, it's not often a topic patients discuss with their health care providers. Even while following best practices and providing the highest level of care, providers can have patients who are at risk for hypertension or who remain undiagnosed..."
Hypertension

Hypertension Among Adults in the United States

Find the latest statistics on hypertension in the United States for the years 2011-2012.
Hypertension

2013 Hypertension Control Challenge

"Calling all clinicians, clinical practices, and health systems working with patients to get blood pressure under control—enter the 2013 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge today to spread the word about your successful strategies for better blood pressure control..."

Hypertension

Vital Signs: Prevalence, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension --- United States, 1999--2002 and 2005--2008
"Background: Hypertension is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It affects one in three adults in the United States and contributes to one out of every seven deaths and nearly half of all cardiovascular disease--related deaths in the United States.

Methods: CDC analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) on the prevalence, treatment, and control of hypertension among U.S. adults aged ≥18 years. Hypertension was defined as an average blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg or the current use of blood pressure--lowering medication. Control of hypertension was reported as an average treated systolic/diastolic blood pressure <140/90 mmHg. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess changes in prevalence of hypertension, use of pharmacologic treatment, and control of blood pressure between the 1999--2002 and 2005--2008 survey cycles.

Results: During 2005--2008, approximately 68 million (31%) U.S. adults aged ≥18 years had hypertension, and this prevalence has shown no improvement in the past decade. Of these adults, 48 million (70%) were receiving pharmacologic treatment and 31 million (46%) had their condition controlled. Although 86% of adults with uncontrolled blood pressure had medical insurance, the prevalence of blood pressure control among adults with hypertension was especially low among participants who did not have a usual source of medical care (12%), received medical care less than twice in the previous year (21%), or did not have health insurance (29%). Control prevalence also was low among young adults (31%) and Mexican Americans (37%). Although the prevalence of hypertension did not change from 1999--2002 to 2005--2008, significant increases were observed in the prevalence of treatment and control.

Conclusions: Hypertension affects millions of persons in the United States, and less than half of those with hypertension have their condition controlled. Prevalence of treatment and control are even lower among persons who do not have a usual source of medical care, those who are not receiving regular medical care, and those who do not have health insurance..."