Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Americas and high blood pressure accounts for over 50% of CVD. Unfortunately, in the Americas, over a quarter of adult women and four in ten adult men have hypertension, and the diagnosis, treatment, and control are suboptimal. Remarkably, only a few countries exhibit a population hypertension control rate of over 50%. To address this critical problem, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) initiated the HEARTS in the Americas, a comprehensive CVD risk reduction initiative currently being implemented in 1380 health facilities in 22 countries.
Watch again the webinar!
On Friday, 13 May, PAHO, in collaboration with The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, hosted a webinar as part of the activities to mark World Hypertension Day. The session counted with the participation of recognized experts, who discussed topics such as the low hypertension awareness rate worldwide, how to promote accurate blood pressure measurement methods, and underscored the importance of improving hypertension control to live longer and healthier.
➔ Measuring your blood pressure accurate is crucial to know if you have hypertension.
➔ Providers are encouraged to use an automated blood pressure measurement device clinically validated to obtain accurate blood pressure readings.
➔ Hypertension is a silent killer because in its early stages, it rarely causes symptoms, and many people go undiagnosed.
➔ If you haven’t gotten your blood pressure measured, visit a primary health care facility in your community to obtain an accurate blood pressure reading.
➔ If you have hypertension (blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg), you should seek advice from a health professional.
➔ Diagnosing and treating hypertension timely can reduce the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and kidney failure, among other health problems.
➔ When blood pressure is high, the heart has to pump harder, increasing the risk of damage to the heart and blood vessels in major organs such as the brain and kidneys.
➔ If you haven’t gotten your blood pressure measured, visit a primary health care facility in your community to obtain an accurate blood pressure reading.
➔ If you have hypertension, you should seek advice from a health professional.
➔ If you are a provider, use an automated blood pressure measurement device clinically validated, when possible, to control your patients.
CARDIOVASCULAR RISK CALCULATOR
➔ As blood pressure increases, so do cardiovascular risk. Therefore, all patients with hypertension should get their cardiovascular risk estimated and learn how to modify it.
➔ Use the Cardiovascular Risk Calculator of the HEARTS App to assess your cardiovascular risk.
➔ This App does not replace clinical judgment.
➔ If you have hypertension, you should seek advice from a health professional.
➔ If you haven’t gotten your blood pressure measured, visit a primary health care facility in your community to obtain an accurate blood pressure reading.
