This post was authored by Janet Wright, MD, FACC, Executive Director of Million Hearts™, a national, public-private initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

While one in three adults has high blood pressure, only half of them have it under control. This is one critical reason why public and private organizations united in September 2011 in an unprecedented effort to help Americans improve the health of their hearts. Together we created the Million Hearts™ initiative that aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017 through clinical and community interventions.

In our first year, thousands of supporters—individuals, medical professionals, public health agencies, health care systems, and private companies—have made specific commitments to achieving our goal. We are delighted by their passion as we work together to reduce high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the latest Vital Signs report as part of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It reports that the majority of people with uncontrolled high blood pressure are being treated but they still do not have their hypertension under control. These are missed opportunities to make a difference in their lives and the health of the country.

Working as a team is one way we can better capture these opportunities. In May, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended team-based care for blood pressure control. The Task Force found that blood pressure control improved when care was provided by a team of health professionals—a physician supported by a pharmacist, nurse, dietitian, social worker, or community health worker—rather than by a physician alone. By taking this approach, some of our partners, including private practitioners, community clinics, and large health care systems, such as the VA and Kaiser Permanente, already have been able to help more than 80% of their patients control their blood pressure. Join us in helping 10 million more hypertensive Americans control their blood pressure by 2017. How can you—and your patients—be the best in blood pressure control?

1. Make control a priority. Measure yourself via PINNACLE or submit the ABCS-related Cardiovascular Prevention Measures Group in CMS’ Physician Quality Reporting System. Recognize and reward those in your practice or system who are leading the way.
2. Use EHRs to identify patients who aren’t being treated or are not yet under control.
3. Enlist every member of your team.  Pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, clerical office staff, and others all play key roles in helping patients control blood pressure.
4. Ask your patients to self-monitor, and make sure they know their goal numbers. Use an elevated reading as a signal to acquire and assess the blood pressure pattern over the next month, enabling prompt, sound, and safe treatment decisions.
5. Make adherence as easy as possible for patients. Prescribe once-a-day regimens, combination pills, and 90-day supplies when appropriate. Ask patients about difficulties taking medicines, and encourage them to use pillboxes, a simple and proven tool to improve adherence.

Visit millionhearts.hhs.gov for resources from Million Hearts™. Check out ACC blood pressure tools for patients and providers, as well as read more on the CDC report, on CardioSource.org.

[youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDiukTEpTHU&feature=player_embeddedURL']

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