Preventive health services: High blood pressure control.

An estimated 60 million Americans have high blood pressure that increases their risk of illness and premature death. Of these persons approximately 35 million need some form of continuing treatment, while the remaining 25 million have borderline high blood pressure that requires medical surveillance. Untreated hypertension is the largest single contributor to stroke and a major contributor to heart disease and kidney failure. The National High Blood Pressure Education Program, started in 1972, has helped to improve hypertension control in the Nation. With providers and the public better informed about hypertension, patient visits and medication prescriptions for hypertension have increased, as has the number of persons whose hypertension is well controlled. Associated deaths, especially from stroke, have declined rapidly and dramatically. There is much room for improvement. Provider interest in and attention to long-term regimen adherence needs more emphasis. Large segments of the population, especially ethnic and racial minority groups, continue to face access problems. Awareness and attempted application of patient management technologies have improved, but stronger efforts are needed to address care delivery system management issues.