CHICAGO — With nearly half of all adults in the U.S. now living with high blood pressure and at increased risk of heart attack and stroke, the American Medical Association (AMA) is today — on World Hypertension Day — urging more Americans to monitor their blood pressure levels and take quick action to get their high blood pressure, or hypertension, under control.

“On World Hypertension Day, the AMA is calling on the millions of Americans who have uncontrolled hypertension to take control of their heart health by monitoring their blood pressure levels and making healthy lifestyle changes that can significantly reduce the risk of serious health consequences associated with high blood pressure,” said AMA President David O. Barbe, M.D. “Along with the devastating impact that it has on patients and their families, heart disease also creates an enormous financial ripple effect across the entire health care system. By empowering more patients to monitor and control their blood pressure, we will help improve health outcomes for more patients and reduce health care costs.”

There are often no symptoms or signs of high blood pressure, often referred to as the “silent killer,” but if left untreated the condition damages the blood vessels and increases the risk for heart attack, stroke, and other serious conditions. To help reduce these risks, the AMA encourages patients to visit LowerYourHBP.org to find resources that will help them understand their blood pressure numbers, commit to a plan in partnership with their physician and learn to manage their blood pressure.

The AMA has been working over the past several years to reduce the burden of preventable diseases like cardiovascular disease and will continue to further these efforts — particularly through its long-term collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) to address the growing burden of high blood pressure in the United States.

Recognizing that high blood pressure is a major health threat to patients, the AMA developed online tools to support physicians with the latest evidence-based information and resources they need to help manage their patients’ high blood pressure. These resources are available to all physicians and health systems as part of the AMA and AHA’s joint Target: BP™ initiative — a national program launched in 2016 aimed at reducing the number of Americans who die from heart attacks and strokes each year by urging physician practices, health systems and patients to prioritize blood pressure control.

In November, the AMA and AHA recognized 310 physician practices and health systems from across the country for their participation in the program and commitment to reducing the number of adult patients with uncontrolled blood pressure and improving health outcomes associated with heart disease.

Recently published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension, a study examining the use of a blood pressure improvement program offered through Target: BP — to help physicians accurately measure and control their patient’s blood pressure — found that blood pressure control rates improved from approximately 61 percent to nearly 90 percent among medically underserved patients.

Improving the health of the nation is a top priority for the AMA and we will continue to further our efforts aimed at reducing the burden of preventable diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.