High blood pressure in U.S. a "neglected disease"

[babylonsister]

High blood pressure in U.S. a "neglected disease"
Julie Steenhuysen


(Reuters) - High blood pressure is a "neglected disease" and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must do more to fight it by helping Americans eat better and encouraging doctors to treat it more aggressively, an expert panel said on Monday.

The report by the Institute of Medicine, one of the National Academies of Sciences, urges the CDC to promote policies that make it easier for people to be more physically active, cut calories and reduce their salt intake.

High blood pressure or hypertension is easily preventable through diet, exercise and drugs, yet it is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, said committee chair David Fleming, who directs Public Health for Seattle and King County in Washington.

"Hypertension as a disease is relatively easy to diagnose and it's inexpensive to treat," Fleming said in a telephone interview.

"Yet despite that, one in six deaths in the United States is due to hypertension, and it costs our healthcare system $73 billion each year in expenses.

"In that context, hypertension is really a neglected disease in this country. There's a huge gap between what we could do and what we are doing," he said.

Fleming said the CDC spends less than $50 million a year for a wide array of heart disease prevention programs that includes hypertension.

Simple steps like consuming less salt and increasing the intake of vegetables, fruit and lean protein could cut rates of high blood pressure by as much as 22 percent, according to the report by the Institute, which advises policymakers.

They cited a recent study that found reducing salt intake to 2,300 milligrams per day -- the current maximum recommended amount -- from 3,400 milligrams a day could cut U.S. health costs by about $17.8 billion each year.

more...

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61L4N120100223

[Chemisse]

1. I think the medical community is doing their part

Diet and health habits are up to the individual.

[Warpy]

2. That's really the big problem

especially since people strapped for cash in this economy are going to stop their hypertension medication first because they can't feel it do anything for them and it might actually make them feel dizzy when they first get out of bed in the morning. People just have no idea how much damage is silently going on until they die from it.

[mopinko]

6. might have other benefits, too.

quit the bp meds and they might not need the viagra, either.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

3. Many people don't know they have it.

I wouldn't have known about mine except the excruciating headaches, about 10% of people with hypertension experience them. It is largely a silent disease especially in poor African American communities where routine visits to the Dr. are rare or non-existent. That has been my experience, for what it's worth.

[nickinSTL]

4. got to say, I take care of mine

Was diagnosed a couple years ago, and it's well-controlled on medication.

My food intake is pretty darn good, too - vegetarian, eat little prepared/canned foods.

I suspect a lot of people don't know if they have it, though. I wonder about my brother, what with our family history and his high-stress job (he's an ADA).

[Zoigal]

5. Glad the BP problem is being given some press.

Since it often shows few symptoms until a crisis, many folks probably aren't even aware that they
have it. Spoke with a lady the other day who remarked that she wasn't worried about salt intake because
her BP was under control with medication. Sigh..she obviously hasn't got the message IMO. I have isolated
systolic hypertension and am finding it extremely difficult to manage even with good diet, never smoking,
exercise, and Rxs. Any ideas will be appreciated...thanks.....z