Lost in Translation: Why Are Rates of Hypertension Control Getting Worse Over Time?

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular disease prevention
• Hypertension management
• Public health

Background:

• Hypertension treatment is a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention.
• Effective, accessible, and affordable hypertension treatments exist.
• Despite this, hypertension control rates in the U.S. have stagnated below 60% and are declining.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the failure in delivering preventive hypertension care.
• To identify populations disproportionately affected by poor hypertension control.
• To explore factors impacting hypertension control and propose future interventions.

Main Methods:

• Review of hypertension control rates and contributing factors.
• Analysis of the gap between hypertension science and healthcare delivery.
• Identification of novel interventions and approaches.

Main Results:

• Overall hypertension control rates in the U.S. have never exceeded 60%.
• Recent years show a decrease, not an increase, in control rates.
• Specific populations are disproportionately affected by inadequate hypertension management.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant failure in the delivery of preventive hypertension care.
• Addressing this requires novel interventions and a reevaluation of healthcare delivery.
• Improving hypertension control is essential for reducing cardiovascular disease burden.