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Hypertension control at physicians' offices in the United States

Jing Fang1, Michael H Alderman, Nora L Keenan

  • 1Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. jfang@cdc.gov

American Journal of Hypertension
|January 12, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Hypertension control remains poor in US physician offices, with only 44% of visits meeting the <140/90 mm Hg target. Improved management strategies are crucial to reduce heart disease and stroke risks.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Uncontrolled hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular events like heart disease and stroke.
  • Despite available treatments, hypertension control rates have stagnated for decades.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze hypertension control rates in US physician office visits.
  • To identify factors associated with hypertension control status.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 2003-2004 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data.
  • Inclusion of all hypertension-related visits with measured blood pressure.
  • Application of survey weights for national estimates and identification of associated characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 176 million hypertension-related office visits occurred (9.7% of total).
  • Blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg was achieved in 44% of visits.
  • Hypertension control was associated with diagnoses of coronary heart disease, elevated cholesterol, and visits with primary care physicians, internists, or cardiologists.

Conclusions:

  • The 44% hypertension control rate in US office visits indicates a significant need for improvement.
  • Enhanced hypertension management is essential to decrease related morbidity and mortality.
Abstract

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