Controlling
High Blood Pressure Still a Problem for Many
Although most Americans with high blood pressure are taking
steps to combat the potentially deadly condition, only 30 percent have it
under control, say researchers in the Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
That means the 70 percent of adults with uncontrolled
high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, must do more to bring those
levels down, including changing their diet, exercising, and sticking to their
medication regimens.
If they do not, they face an increased risk of heart disease
and stroke, according to the study authors from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) writing in the MMWR.
"Most people with high blood pressure (98.1 percent) are
doing something to lower it," says lead author Clark Denny, Ph.D., an epidemiologist
with the CDC. "But there is still room for
improvement.
"Almost everyone with high blood pressure can have it
controlled through medication and lifestyle change," he adds.
While the number of people who are doing things to control
their blood pressure is increasing, so is the number of people with high
blood pressure, says Dr. Denny.
"It's bad news that the number of people with high blood
pressure is going up," he notes. "That may be due to changes in diet, people's
weight going up, and, in part, to aging."
For
the study, Dr. Denny's team collected
data on 101,574 people who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System. The researchers found that in 2005, of the 24,447 people from 20
states who said they had high blood pressure, 98 percent were doing at least
one thing to lower or control it.
For example, 70 percent said they had changed their eating
habits; nearly 80 percent had reduced their use of salt or did not use salt;
79 percent had reduced the amount of alcohol they drank or did not drink;
almost 69 percent exercised; and 73 percent took medication to lower their
blood pressure.
"But that means that about 30 percent in each category
need to do more," explains Dr. Denny.
He
believes that people need to be educated about the dangers of high blood
pressure and what they can do to lower
it. Also, "there
has to be a partnership between doctors and patients to help people control
their blood pressure," he says.
An
editorial note in the MMWR supports
a broad-based approach to controlling blood pressure.
"A comprehensive approach to lifestyle modification that
targets diet, salt intake, alcohol intake, and exercise can help to control
high blood pressure," the CDC authors write.
"The Dietary Approaches to
Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which is low in saturated and total
fat and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, has
assisted with reducing blood pressure,” they say. “High blood
pressure control requires maintaining lifestyle changes and taking prescribed
medications.
"Self-management can increase overall high blood pressure
control, and improvements in counseling from health-care providers, patient
education, and clinician-patient partnerships could further encourage adults
with high blood pressure to take action," the authors conclude.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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