Hypertension control among employed persons in New York City: 1973-75

A recent survey of 8, 579 employed persons in New York City has revealed that 85.7 percent of the 1,440 hypertensives identified were already aware of their condition and 66.1 percent were being treated. These results are in marked contrast to those obtained only a few years ago, when in a similar setting only half of those with high blood pressure were aware of their condition and relatively few had entered treatment. Unfortunately, however, the potential impact of this considerable shift in behavior has not been realized because only half of those who enter treatment achieve normal blood pressure. Thus, despite far greater emphasis on the community problem of hypertenstion, fewer than one-third of all those with high blood pressure are controlled. These data indicate that further screening and referral can, at best, increase the rate of control only slightly. The urgent need now is for development and implementation of programs that provide effective long-term patient management.