Surgeon General Releases Call to Action on Hypertension Control

by | Oct 12, 2020 | Cardiac Care, Featured

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Checking blood pressure

Earlier this week, Surgeon General VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., issued a Call to Action urging Americans to recognize and address hypertension control as a national, public health priority. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension provides a roadmap for helping people, communities, health professionals and others improve the heart health of our nation by working together to eliminate differences in access to quality healthcare and addressing social factors that influence overall health. Communities can ensure that the places where people live, learn, work, play and pray support hypertension control by promoting access to and availability of physical activity opportunities, healthy food options, and links between clinical services and community programs.

Watch this Call to Action Video from the US Surgeon General

The Call to Action summarizes recent data on hypertension control for all populations, identifies the 10 most effective strategies for achieving control, and provides recommendations to individuals and organizations that can improve rates of hypertension prevention and control. Among the strategies identified are:

  1. Increase awareness of health risks
  2. Recognize economic burden
  3. Eliminate disparities in access to care and health outcomes
  4. Promote physical activity opportunities
  5. Promote opportunities to access healthy foods and good nutrition
  6. Connect to lifestyle change resources
  7. Use standardized treatment approaches
  8. Promote team-based care
  9. Empower and equip patients; and
  10. Recognize and reward clinicians

We all can play a part in improving hypertension control by taking action in our communities and in our healthcare systems. Healthy behaviors directly contribute to positive health outcomes. Chronic disease self-management education programs also impact the development of long-term change for a healthy lifestyle. From identifying at-risk individuals to providing self-management education and support, every individual contributes to and benefits from a collaborative approach.

Our goal is to help providers with the prevention and management of chronic diseases by supporting providers in preventing cardiovascular events, promoting tobacco cessation, improving the management of diabetes to decrease diabetes complications and identifying people at high risk. Visit our Web site and join our Community Care Coalition to learn more and get connected. Better together.