The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) said Monday they have come together to launch a national initiative to bring awareness to the growing problem of high blood pressure.
The program, dubbed Target: BP, aims to lend support to health care providers to help patients with high blood pressure lower their readings to 140/90 or lower.
Target: BP marks the first time the two health agencies have partnered on a major initiative.
The AHA and AMA will provide tools and resources, including the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (AHA/ACC/CDC) Hypertension Treatment Algorithm, to health care providers participating in Target BP. More than 50 health care systems and providers have agreed to take part in the program.
High blood pressure affects 1 in 3 American adults, approximately 80 million people. The AHA and AMA said that number is "steadily climbing, despite the fact that high blood pressure can usually be easily treated."
High blood pressure can be a precursor to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and other diseases. Research from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) indicates that lowering blood pressure can reduce the risk of these health complications.
“The SPRINT results underscore our long-standing position to detect and aggressively treat people with high blood pressure,” AHA President Mark Creager said. “Currently, only about half of Americans with high blood pressure are achieving our recommended blood pressure reading of below 140/90."
AMA President Steven Stack said the program could positively impact millions of Americans.
"This new collaboration will significantly build on the work we’ve already begun to improve cardiovascular health," Stack said.
