Inadequate hypertension control rates: A global concern for countries of all income levels

Hypertension detection and management is at the forefront of global healthcare and in order to address hypertension control, Turé et al. performed a vital and opportune study geared toward establishing the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of hypertension in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. 1 Worldwide, hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature death and medical evidence demonstrates that blood pressure reduction significantly reduces cardiovascular events. 2 This benefit far outweighs the risk of treatment, including pharmacologic side effects, and is cost effective even in low- to middle-income countries. [...]in most cases, lifestyle modification alone fails to control blood pressure adequately. [...]individuals require pharmacologic therapy along with lifestyle modification to reach target blood pressure. [...]high-income countries such as the United States have seen a disturbing decline in control rates. Healthy-lifestyle counseling identifies behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular disease and describes techniques to encourage changing these risk factors; Evidence-based treatment protocols include how to measure blood pressure appropriately and provide sample hypertension treatment protocols; Access to essential medicines and technology provides information on supply chain management of cardiovascular medications including procurement, distribution, management, and handling supplies; Risk-based cardiovascular disease management defines how to use a risk-based approach to assess and manage cardiovascular disease; Team-based care explains the advantage of using an interdisciplinary team to provide patient care centered around evidence-based protocols; and Systems for monitoring contain information on monitoring and reporting on hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control. 10 It is important to note that while the HEARTS program uses a population-based framework, it also allows for individualization of care based on the demographics, culture, and economics of each community, state, country, or region.