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Digital, The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Hearts Initiative offers technical packages to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases through population-wide and targeted health services interventions. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has led implementation of the HEARTS in the Americas Initiative since 2016. The authors mapped the developmental stages, barriers, and facilitators to implemen-tation among the 371 primary health care centers in the participating 12 countries. The authors used the qualitative method of document review to examine cumula-tive country reports, technical meeting notes, and reports to regional stakeholders. Common implementation barriers include segmentation of health systems, overcom-ing health care professionals' scope of practice legal restrictions, and lack of health information systems limiting operational evaluation and quality improvement mecha-nisms. Main implementation facilitators include political support from ministries of health and leading scientific societies, PAHO's role as a regional catalyst to implemen-tation, stakeholder endorsement demonstrated by incorporating HEARTS into official documents, and having a health system oriented to primary health care. Key lessons include the need for political commitment and cultivating on-the-ground leadership to initiate a shift in hypertension care delivery, accompanied by specific progress in the development of standardized treatment protocols and a set of high-quality medicines. By systematizing an implementation strategy to ease integration of interventions into delivery processes, the program strengthened technical leadership and ensured sus-tainability. These study findings will aid the regional approach by providing a staged planning model that incorporates lessons learned. A systematic approach to imple-mentation will enhance equity, efficiency, scale-up, and sustainability, and ultimately improve population hypertension control., Ciencias Médicas y de la Salud

About 1/4th of adults have high blood pressure which is the single most important risk for death (including heart disease and stroke).There are effective policies that could facilitate people making healthy choices to prevent raised blood pressure, and if fully implemented, could largely prevent hypertension from occurring.Hypertension is easy to screen and treat for BUT only about 50% of adults with hypertension are aware of their condition and only about 1 in 7 is adequately treated.Preventing and controlling high blood pressure is the major mechanism for NCD prevention and control and a model for other NCD risks.Effective lifestyle and drug treatments could prevent and control hypertension in most individuals if systematically applied to the population, simple interventions are feasible in all settings, and can be used to enhance primary care.Urgent sustained action is needed is needed for effective public policies and health system changes to prevent and control hypertension.Cerca de una cuarta parte de los adultos tienen hipertensión, el principal factor de riesgo de muerte (inclusive la causada por cardiopatía y accidente cerebrovascular).Existen políticas eficaces que podrían ayudar a las personas a elegir opciones saludables para prevenir el aumento de la presión arterial; si se las aplicara plenamente, se podría evitar en gran medida el desarrollo de hipertensión.La hipertensión es fácil de detectar y tratar, PERO solo alrededor de 50% de los adultos que presentan dicha afección son conscientes de su situación y solamente 1 de cada 7 de ellos recibe el tratamiento adecuado.La prevención y el control de la hipertensión es el mecanismo principal para prevenir y controlar las enfermedades no transmisibles y un modelo para evitar otros riesgos de presentar dichas enfermedades.La adopción de un modo de vida saludable y el tratamiento farmacológico efectivo podrían prevenir y controlar la hipertensión en la mayoría de las personas si se implementaran de manera sistemática en la población; en todos los entornos es posible aplicar intervenciones sencillas, que pueden usarse para mejorar la atención primaria.Es urgente adoptar medidas sostenidas para introducir cambios eficaces en las políticas públicas y los sistemas de salud pública con miras a prevenir y controlar la hipertensión.

Cerca de una cuarta parte de los adultos tienen hipertensión, el principal factor de riesgo de muerte (inclusive la causada por cardiopatía y accidente cerebrovascular). Existen políticas eficaces que podrían ayudar a las personas a elegir opciones saludables para prevenir el aumento de la presión arterial; si se las aplicara plenamente, se podría evitar en gran medida el desarrollo de hipertensión. La hipertensión es fácil de detectar y tratar, PERO solo alrededor de 50% de los adultos que presentan dicha afección son conscientes de su situación y solamente 1 de cada 7 de ellos recibe el tratamiento adecuado. La prevención y el control de la hipertensión es el mecanismo principal para prevenir y controlar las enfermedades no transmisibles y un modelo para evitar otros riesgos de presentar dichas enfermedades. La adopción de un modo de vida saludable y el tratamiento farmacológico efectivo podrían prevenir y controlar la hipertensión en la mayoría de las personas si se implementaran de manera sistemática en la población; en todos los entornos es posible aplicar intervenciones sencillas, que pueden usarse para mejorar la atención primaria. Es urgente adoptar medidas sostenidas para introducir cambios eficaces en las políticas públicas y los sistemas de salud pública con miras a prevenir y controlar la hipertensión.

High systolic blood pressure (BP) is the single leading modifiable risk factor for death worldwide. Accurate BP measurement is the cornerstone for screening, diagnosis, and management of hypertension. Inaccurate BP measurement is a leading patient safety challenge. A recent World Health Organization report has outlined the technical specifications for automated noninvasive clinical BP measurement with cuff. The report is applicable to ambulatory, home, and office devices used for clinical purposes. The report recommends that for routine clinical purposes, (1) automated devices be used, (2) an upper arm cuff be used, and (3) that only automated devices that have passed accepted international accuracy standards (eg, the International Organization for Standardization 81060-2; 2018 protocol) be used. Accurate measurement also depends on standardized patient preparation and measurement technique and a quiet, comfortable setting. The World Health Organization report provides steps for governments, manufacturers, health care providers, and their organizations that need to be taken to implement the report recommendations and to ensure accurate BP measurement for clinical purposes. Although, health and scientific organizations have had similar recommendations for many years, the World Health Organization as the leading governmental health organization globally provides a potentially synergistic nongovernment government opportunity to enhance the accuracy of clinical BP assessment.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Americas and raised blood pressure accounts for over 50% of CVD. 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. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an updated guideline for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults. This policy paper highlights the facilitating role of the WHO Global HEARTS initiative and the HEARTS in the Americas initiative to catalyze the implementation of this guideline, provides specific policy advice for implementation, and emphasizes that an overarching strategic approach for hypertension control is needed. The authors urge health advocates and policymakers to prioritize the prevention and control of hypertension to improve the health and wellbeing of their populations and to reduce CVD health disparities within and between populations of the Americas.Las enfermedades cardiovasculares son la principal causa de muerte en la Región de las Américas y la hipertensión es la causa de más del 50% de ellas. En la Región, más de una cuarta parte de las mujeres adultas y cuatro de cada diez hombres adultos tienen hipertensión y su diagnóstico, tratamiento y control son deficientes. En el 2021, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) publicó directrices actualizadas sobre el tratamiento farmacológico de la hipertensión en personas adultas. En este artículo se destaca el papel facilitador de la iniciativa mundial HEARTS de la OMS y la iniciativa HEARTS en las Américas para catalizar la implementación de estas directrices, a la vez que se proporciona asesoramiento específico sobre políticas para dicha implementación y se destaca la necesidad de adoptar un enfoque estratégico general para el control de la hipertensión. Los autores instan a quienes abogan por la salud y a los responsables de las políticas a priorizar la prevención y el control de la hipertensión para mejorar la salud y el bienestar de la población, y a reducir las disparidades de salud en relación con las enfermedades cardiovasculares dentro de la población y entre las poblaciones de la Región de las Américas.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Americas, and hypertension is the most significant modifiable risk factor. However, hypertension control rates remain low, and CVD mortality is stagnant or rising after decades of continuing reduction. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the HEARTS technical package to improve hypertension control. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) designed the HEARTS in the Americas Initiative to improve CVD risk management, emphasizing hypertension control, to date implemented in 21 countries.To advance implementation, an interdisciplinary group of practitioners was engaged to select the key evidence-based drivers of hypertension control and to design a comprehensive scorecard to monitor their implementation at primary care health facilities (PHC). The group studied high-performing health systems that achieve high hypertension control through quality improvement programs focusing on specific process measures, with regular feedback to providers at health facilities.The final selected eight drivers were categorized into five main domains: (1) diagnosis (blood pressure measurement accuracy and CVD risk evaluation); (2) treatment (standardized treatment protocol and treatment intensification); (3) continuity of care and follow-up; (4) delivery system (team-based care, medication refill), and (5) system for performance evaluation. The drivers and recommendations were then translated into process measures, resulting in two interconnected scorecards integrated into the HEARTS in the Americas monitoring and evaluation system.Focus on these key hypertension drivers and resulting scorecards, will guide the quality improvement process to achieve population control goals at the participating health centers in HEARTS implementing countries.As doenças cardiovasculares (DCV) são as principais causas de morbimortalidade nas Américas, e a hipertensão arterial (HÁ) é o fator de risco modificável mais importante. Porém, as taxas de controle da HA continuam baixas, e a mortalidade por DCV está estagnada ou aumentando após décadas de redução contínua. Em 2016, a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) lançou o pacote de medidas técnicas HEARTS para melhorar o controle da HA. A Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS) criou a iniciativa HEARTS nas Américas para melhorar a gestão do risco cardiovascular (RCV), com ênfase no controle da HA. Até agora, essa iniciativa foi implementada em 21 países.Para impulsionar a implementação, recrutou-se um grupo multidisciplinar de profissionais para selecionar impulsionadores-chave do controle da HA com base em evidências e elaborar um scorecard completo para monitorar sua implementação em unidades de atenção primária à saúde (APS). O grupo estudou sistemas de saúde com alto desempenho que haviam conseguido atingir um alto nível de controle da HA por meio de programas de melhoria da qualidade focados em medidas específicas de processo, com feedback regular para os profissionais das unidades de saúde.Os oito fatores impulsionadores incluídos na seleção final foram categorizados em cinco domínios principais: (1) diagnóstico (exatidão da medição da pressão arterial e avaliação do RCV); (2) tratamento (protocolo padronizado de tratamento e intensificação do tratamento); (3) continuidade do cuidado e acompanhamento; (4) modelo de atenção (atendimento baseado em equipe, renovação da prescrição); e (5) sistema de avaliação do desempenho. Em seguida, os impulsionadores e as recomendações foram transformados em medidas de processo, gerando dois scorecards inter-relacionados integrados ao sistema de monitoramento e avaliação da Iniciativa HEARTS nas Américas.O foco nesses impulsionadores-chave da HA e nos scorecards resultantes orientará o processo de melhoria da qualidade para atingir as metas de controle, em nível populacional, dos centros de saúde participantes nos países que estão implementando a iniciativa HEARTS.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Americas, and hypertension is the most significant modifiable risk factor. However, hypertension control rates remain low, and CVD mortality is stagnant or rising after decades of continuing reduction. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the HEARTS technical package to improve hypertension control. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) designed the HEARTS in the Americas Initiative to improve CVD risk management, emphasizing hypertension control, to date implemented in 21 countries.To advance implementation, an interdisciplinary group of practitioners was engaged to select the key evidence-based drivers of hypertension control and to design a comprehensive scorecard to monitor their implementation at primary care health facilities (PHC). The group studied high-performing health systems that achieve high hypertension control through quality improvement programs focusing on specific process measures, with regular feedback to providers at health facilities.The final selected eight drivers were categorized into five main domains: (1) diagnosis (blood pressure measurement accuracy and CVD risk evaluation); (2) treatment (standardized treatment protocol and treatment intensification); (3) continuity of care and follow-up; (4) delivery system (team-based care, medication refill), and (5) system for performance evaluation. The drivers and recommendations were then translated into process measures, resulting in two interconnected scorecards integrated into the HEARTS in the Americas monitoring and evaluation system.Focus on these key hypertension drivers and resulting scorecards, will guide the quality improvement process to achieve population control goals at the participating health centers in HEARTS implementing countries.Las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) son la principal causa de morbilidad y mortalidad en la Región de las Américas y la hipertensión es el factor de riesgo modificable asociado más importante. Sin embargo, las tasas de control de la hipertensión siguen siendo bajas y la mortalidad por ECV está estancada o en aumento después de décadas de reducción continua. En el 2016, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) presentó el paquete técnico HEARTS para mejorar el control de la hipertensión. La Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) diseñó la iniciativa HEARTS en las Américas para mejorar el control del riesgo de ECV, que hace hincapié en el control de la hipertensión y que, hasta la fecha, se ha implementado en 21 países.Para avanzar en la implementación, se creó un grupo interdisciplinario de profesionales de la salud con el objetivo de seleccionar los factores impulsores claves del control de la hipertensión basados en la evidencia y diseñar un método de puntuación integral para dar seguimiento a su implementación en los centros de atención de salud primaria (APS). El grupo estudió los sistemas de salud de alto desempeño que logran un control elevado de la hipertensión mediante programas de mejora de la calidad que se centran en medidas específicas con respecto a los procesos, con retroalimentación regular a los prestadores en los centros de salud.Los ocho factores impulsores finales seleccionados se clasificaron en cinco dominios principales: 1) diagnóstico (exactitud de la medición de la presión arterial y evaluación del riesgo de ECV); 2) tratamiento (protocolo de tratamiento e intensificación del tratamiento estandarizados); 3) continuidad de la atención y seguimiento; 4) sistema de prestación del tratamiento (atención basada en un trabajo en equipo, reposición de la medicación) y 5) sistema para la evaluación del desempeño. Los factores impulsores y las recomendaciones se tradujeron en medidas con respecto a los procesos, lo que llevó a dos métodos de puntuación integrados e interconectados en el sistema de seguimiento y evaluación del programa HEARTS en las Américas.El enfoque que se centra en estos factores impulsores clave de la hipertensión y los métodos de puntuación resultantes servirá de guía para el proceso de mejora de la calidad con objeto de alcanzar los objetivos de control a nivel poblacional en los centros de salud participantes de los países que implementan el programa HEARTS.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Americas and raised blood pressure accounts for over 50% of CVD. 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. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an updated guideline for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults. This policy paper highlights the facilitating role of the WHO Global HEARTS initiative and the HEARTS in the Americas initiative to catalyze the implementation of this guideline, provides specific policy advice for implementation, and emphasizes that an over-arching strategic approach for hypertension control is needed. The authors urge health advocates and policymakers to prioritize the prevention and control of hypertension to improve the health and wellbeing of their populations and to reduce CVD health disparities within and between populations of the Americas.A doença cardiovascular (DCV) é a principal causa de morte nas Américas, e a pressão arterial elevada é responsável por mais de 50% dos casos de DCV. Nas Américas, mais de um quarto das mulheres adultas e quatro de cada dez homens adultos têm hipertensão arterial, sendo que diagnóstico, tratamento e controle estão abaixo do ideal. Em 2021, a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) divulgou uma atualização das diretrizes para o tratamento medicamentoso da hipertensão arterial em adultos. Essa publicação ressalta o papel facilitador da iniciativa Global HEARTS da OMS e da iniciativa HEARTS nas Américas para catalisar a implementação dessas diretrizes, oferece recomendações específicas de políticas para sua implementação e enfatiza a necessidade de uma abordagem estratégica abrangente para o controle da hipertensão arterial. Os autores clamam para que tanto as pessoas que advogam pela Saúde, quanto as autoridades responsáveis, priorizem a prevenção e o controle da hipertensão arterial como forma de melhorar a saúde e o bem-estar das populações e reduzir as disparidades de saúde cardiovascular dentro das populações das Américas e entre elas.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the world's leading cause of death. High blood pressure (BP) is the leading global risk factor for all‐cause preventable morbidity and mortality. Globally, only about 14% of patients achieve BP control to systolic BP 60%) require two or more drugs to achieve BP control, yet poor adherence to therapy is a major barrier to achieving this control. Fixed‐dose combinations (FDCs) of BP‐lowering drugs are one means to improve BP control through greater adherence and efficacy, with favorable safety and cost profiles. The authors present a review of the supporting data from a successful application to the World Health Organization (WHO) for the inclusion of FDCs of two BP‐lowering drugs on the 21st WHO Essential Medicines List. The authors discuss the efficacy and safety of FDCs of two BP‐lowering drugs for the management of hypertension in adults, relevant hypertension guideline recommendations, and the estimated cost of such therapies.

Hypertension treatment and control prevent more cardiovascular events than management of other modifiable risk factors. Although the age-adjusted proportion of US adults with controlled blood pressure (BP) defined as

HEARTS in the Americas is the regional adaptation of the World Health Organization's Global Hearts Initiative, which will be the model for risk management for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in primary health care in the Region of the Americas by 2025. It has already been implemented in 21 countries and 1045 primary health care centers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It takes a public health and health systems approach to systematically introduce simplified interventions at the primary health care level and focuses on hypertension as a clinical entry point. This paper introduces a new, improved application (app), the main component of which is the calculator for CVD risk and hypertension management. The paper summarizes the risk assessment approach and the methodology used by the World Health Organization to update its cardiovascular risk charts in 2019; describes the app, its use, functionality and validation process; and provides a set of practical recommendations for optimizing CVD risk and hypertension management by using the app in clinical practice. The HEARTS app is a powerful tool to improve the quality of care provided in primary health settings. The creation and dissemination of the HEARTS app is an essential step in the journey towards eliminating preventable CVD in the Americas.HEARTS en las Américas es la adaptación regional de la IniciativaHEARTS nas Américas é a adaptação regional da Iniciativa

Key Messages About 1/4th of adults have high blood pressure which is the single most important risk for death (including heart disease and stroke). There are effective policies that could facilitate people making healthy choices to prevent raised blood pressure, and if fully implemented, could largely prevent hypertension from occurring. Hypertension is easy to screen and treat for BUT only about 50% of adults with hypertension are aware of their condition and only about 1 in 7 is adequately treated. Preventing and controlling high blood pressure is the major mechanism for NCD prevention and control and a model for other NCD risks. Effective lifestyle and drug treatments could prevent and control hypertension in most individuals if systematically applied to the population, simple interventions are feasible in all settings, and can be used to enhance primary care. Urgent sustained action is needed is needed for effective public polcies and health system changes to prevent and control hypertension

High blood pressure is the world’s leading cause of death, but despite treatment for hypertension being safe, effective, and low cost, most people with hypertension worldwide do not have it controlled. This article summarizes lessons learned in the first 2 years of the Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) hypertension management program, operated in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners. Better diagnosis, treatment, and continuity of care are all needed to improve control rates, and five necessary components have been recommended by RTSL, WHO and other partners as being essential for a successful hypertension control program. Several hurdles to hypertension control have been identified, with most related to limitations in the health care system rather than to patient behavior. Treatment according to standardized protocols should be started as soon as hypertension is diagnosed, and medical practices and health systems must closely monitor patient progress and system performance. Improvement in hypertension management and control, along with elimination of artificial trans fat and reduction of dietary sodium consumption, will improve many aspects of primary care, contribute to goals for universal health coverage, and could save 100 million lives worldwide over the next 30 years.

To assess the efficacy and tolerability of dual combination of blood pressure (BP)-lowering drugs as initial treatment for hypertension.MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL were searched until August 2017 for randomized, double-blind trials of dual combination therapy vs. monotherapy in adults with hypertension who were either treatment naïve or untreated for at least 4 weeks. Regimens were classified with reference to usual daily 'standard-dose'; for example,1 + 1 for a combination of two drugs both at less than one standard-dose. Random-effects models were used for meta-analysis.Thirty-three trials (13 095 participants) with mean baseline mean BP 155/100 mmHg were included. Compared with standard-dose monotherapy, dual combinations of1 + 1, 1 + 1 and 1 + 1 (i.e. low-to-standard dose), showed a dose-response relationship in reducing SBP [mean differences (95% confidence interval) of 2.8 (1.6-4.0), 4.6 (3.4-5.7) and 7.5 (5.4-9.5) mmHg, respectively], and in improving BP control [risk ratio (RR) (95% confidence interval) 1.11 (0.92-1.34), 1.25 (1.16-1.35) and 1.42 (1.27-1.58), respectively]. Withdrawals due to adverse events were uncommon with low-to-standard dose dual combinations, with no significant difference compared with standard-dose monotherapy [2.9 vs. 2.2%; RR 1.28 (0.85 to 1.92)]. There were fewer data for higher dose dual combinations, which did not appear to produce substantial additional efficacy and could potentially be less tolerable.Compared with standard-dose monotherapy, initiating treatment with low-to-standard dose dual combination therapy is more efficacious without increasing withdrawals due to adverse events.CRD42016032822.

High blood pressure (BP) is a highly prevalent modifiable cause of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and death. Accurate BP measurement is critical, given that a 5-mmHg measurement error may lead to incorrect hypertension status classification in 84 million individuals worldwide. This position statement summarizes procedures for optimizing observer performance in clinic BP measurement, with special attention given to low-to-middle-income settings, where resource limitations, heavy workloads, time constraints, and lack of electrical power make measurement more challenging. Many measurement errors can be minimized by appropriate patient preparation and standardized techniques. Validated semi-automated/automated upper arm cuff devices should be used instead of auscultation to simplify measurement and prevent observer error. Task sharing, creating a dedicated measurement workstation, and using semi-automated or solar-charged devices may help. Ensuring observer training, and periodic re-training, is critical. Low-cost, easily accessible certification programs should be considered to facilitate best BP measurement practice.

Many patients with hypertension require 2 or more drug classes to achieve their blood pressure (BP) goal. We compared antihypertensive medication treatment patterns and BP control between patients who initiated combination therapy versus monotherapy. We identified adults with hypertension enrolled in a US integrated healthcare system who initiated antihypertensive medication between 2008 and 2014. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, antihypertensive medication, and BP were extracted from electronic health records. Antihypertensive medication patterns and multivariable adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) of achieving the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline-recommended BP

OBJECTIVES Continuity of patient information across settings can improve transitions after hospital discharge, but outpatient clinicians often have limited access to complete information from recent hospitalizations. We examined whether providers' timely access to clinical information through shared inpatient-outpatient electronic health records (EHRs) was associated with follow-up visits, return emergency department (ED) visits, or readmissions after hospital discharge in patients with diabetes. STUDY DESIGN Stepped-wedge observational study. METHODS As an integrated delivery system staggered implementation of a shared inpatient-outpatient EHR, we studied 241,510 hospital discharges in patients with diabetes (2005-2011), examining rates of outpatient follow-up office visits, telemedicine (phone visits and asynchronous secure messages), laboratory tests, and return ED visits or readmissions (as adverse events). We used multivariate logistic regression adjusting for time trends, patient characteristics, and medical center and accounting for patient clustering to calculate adjusted follow-up rates. RESULTS For patients with diabetes, provider use of a shared inpatient-outpatient EHR was associated with a statistically significant shift toward follow-up delivered through a combination of telemedicine and outpatient laboratory tests, without a traditional in-person visit (from 22.9% with an outpatient-only EHR to 27.0% with a shared inpatient-outpatient EHR; P

La hipertensión arterial es una causa modificable muy prevalente de enfermedades cardiovasculares, accidentes cerebrovasculares y muerte. Medir con exactitud la presión arterial es fundamental, dado que un error de medición de 5 mmHg puede ser motivo para clasificar incorrectamente como hipertensas a 84 millones de personas en todo el mundo. En la presente declaración de posición se resumen los procedimientos para optimizar el desempeño del observador al medir la presión arterial en el consultorio, con atención especial a los entornos de ingresos bajos o medianos, donde esta medición se ve complicada por limitaciones de recursos y tiempo, sobrecarga de trabajo y falta de suministro eléctrico. Es posible reducir al mínimo muchos errores de medición con una preparación adecuada de los pacientes y el uso de técnicas estandarizadas. Para simplificar la medición y prevenir errores del observador, deben usarse tensiómetros semiautomáticos o automáticos de manguito validados, en lugar del método por auscultación. Pueden ayudar también la distribución de tareas, la creación de un área específica de medición y el uso de aparatos semiautomáticos o de carga solar. Es fundamental garantizar la capacitación inicial y periódica de los integrantes del equipo de salud. Debe considerarse la implementación de programas de certificación de bajo costo y fácilmente accesibles con el objetivo de mejorar la medición de la presión arterial.

Background The survival benefit associated with cumulative adherence to multiple clinical and lifestyle‐related guideline recommendations for secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction ( AMI ) is not well established. Methods and Results We examined adults with AMI (mean age 68 years; 64% men) surviving at least 30 (N=25 778) or 90 (N=24 200) days after discharge in a large integrated healthcare system in Northern California from 2008 to 2014. The association between all‐cause death and adherence to 6 or 7 secondary prevention guideline recommendations including medical treatment (prescriptions for β‐blockers, renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system inhibitors, lipid medications, and antiplatelet medications), risk factor control (blood pressure AMI was evaluated with Cox proportional hazard models. To allow patients time to achieve low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol AMI . Overall guideline adherence was high (35% and 34% met 5 or 6 guidelines at 30 days; and 31% and 23% met 6 or 7 at 90 days, respectively). Greater guideline adherence was independently associated with lower mortality ( hazard ratio, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.49–0.66] for those meeting 7 and hazard ratio, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.61–0.78] for those meeting 6 guidelines versus 0 to 3 guidelines in 90‐day models, with similar results in the 30‐day models), with significantly lower mortality per each additional guideline recommendation achieved. Conclusions In a large community‐based population, cumulative adherence to guideline‐recommended medical therapy, risk factor control, and lifestyle changes after AMI was associated with improved long‐term survival. Full adherence was associated with the greatest survival benefit.

High blood pressure (BP) is the single leading preventable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor across the world. In order to decrease the global burden of CVD, broad hypertension screening programs that facilitate early hypertension diagnosis and treatment are essential. Accurate BP devices are a key element of hypertension control programs. With the overwhelming number of devices available now on the market, most of which have not been tested for accuracy, it can be challenging to select the optimal BP measurement device for clinical settings. This review details essential factors to consider when selecting a good-quality BP device, particularly for use in low-resource settings. Barriers to the procurement and use of good-quality devices are reviewed and practical solutions proposed.

See related article, pp e13–e115 Global high blood pressure control and prevention is a major goal of the World Hypertension League (WHL), which strives to support and promote population strategies for the reduction in risks of hypertension-related outcomes. The implementation of hypertension management protocols and recommendations based on evidence from clinical studies is associated with the risk reduction in stroke, as well as cardiovascular and renal disease.1 The impact of the structured hypertension guidelines can be seen in the Figure where the risks of elevated blood pressure identified in the 1920s and the benefit of blood pressure reduction from the Veterans Administration studies was associated with declines in population stroke mortality.2–5 As evidence in the Table, the decline in stroke mortality coincides with the reduction of population blood pressure pressures which was consistent with the lowered blood pressure thresholds and targets described in the sequential recommendations from the Guidelines.6–12 View this table: Table. Mean and 90th …

Importance A deceleration in the rate of decrease of heart disease (HD) mortality between 2011 and 2014 has been reported. In the context of the rapid increase in the population of adults aged 65 years and older, extending the examination of HD mortality through 2017 has potentially important implications for public health and medical care. Objective To examine changes in the age-adjusted mortality rate and the number of deaths within subcategories of HD from 2011 to 2017 in conjunction with the change in the size of the US population during the same period. Design, Setting, and Participants In this quality improvement study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) data set was used to identify national changes in the US population aged 65 years and older and in the age-adjusted mortality rates and number of deaths that were listed with an underlying cause of HD, coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, and other HDs from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Changes from 2011 to 2017 in the US population and in age-adjusted mortality rates and number of deaths that were listed with an underlying cause of HD, CHD, heart failure (both as an underlying and a contributing cause), and other HDs overall, by sex and race/ethnicity. Results The total size of this population of US adults aged 65 years and older increased 22.9% from 41.4 million to 50.9 million between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2017, while the population of adults younger than 65 years increased by only 1.7%. During this period, the age-adjusted mortality rate decreased 5.0% for HD and 14.9% for CHD while increasing 20.7% for heart failure and 8.4% for other HDs. The number of deaths increased 8.5% for HD, 38.0% for heart failure, and 23.4% for other HDs while decreasing 2.5% for CHD. A total of 80% of HD deaths occurred in the group of adults aged 65 years and older. Conclusions and Relevance The substantial increase in the growth rate of the group of adults aged 65 years and older who have the highest risk of HD was associated with an increase in the number of HD deaths in this group despite a slowly declining HD mortality rate in the general population. With the number of adults aged 65 years and older projected to increase an additional 44% from 2017 to 2030, innovative and effective approaches to prevent and treat HD, particularly the substantially increasing rates of heart failure, are needed.

About 1/4th of adults have high blood pressure which is the single most important risk for death (including heart disease and stroke).There are effective policies that could facilitate people making healthy choices to prevent raised blood pressure, and if fully implemented, could largely prevent hypertension from occurring.Hypertension is easy to screen and treat for BUT only about 50% of adults with hypertension are aware of their condition and only about 1 in 7 is adequately treated.Preventing and controlling high blood pressure is the major mechanism for NCD prevention and control and a model for other NCD risks.Effective lifestyle and drug treatments could prevent and control hypertension in most individuals if systematically applied to the population, simple interventions are feasible in all settings, and can be used to enhance primary care.Urgent sustained action is needed is needed for effective public policies and health system changes to prevent and control hypertension.Cerca de ¼ dos adultos têm hipertensão arterial, que é o fator de risco isolado mais importante para morte (incluídas as mortes por cardiopatia e acidente vascular cerebral).Existem políticas eficazes que poderiam facilitar escolhas pessoais saudáveis para evitar a elevação da pressão arterial e, se plenamente implementadas, podem prevenir a ocorrência da hipertensão arterial.É fácil rastrear e tratar a hipertensão, MAS somente cerca de 50% dos adultos hipertensos estão cientes de sua condição, e apenas cerca de 1 em cada 7 é tratado adequadamente.A prevenção e controle da hipertensão é o principal mecanismo de prevenção e controle das doenças não transmissíveis e um modelo para outros riscos de doenças não transmissíveis.Tratamentos eficazes com mudanças de estilo de vida e medicamentos poderiam prevenir e controlar a hipertensão arterial na maioria das pessoas se aplicados sistematicamente à população; as intervenções simples são viáveis em todos os ambientes e podem melhorar a atenção primária.É necessária a ação continuada e urgente a fim de obter mudanças efetivas nas políticas públicas e no sistema de saúde para prevenir e controlar a hipertensão arterial.

BackgroundThe accuracy of the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Pooled Cohort Risk Equation for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events in contemporary and ethnically diverse populations is not well understood.ObjectivesThe goal of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the 2013 ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Risk Equation within a large, multiethnic population in clinical care.MethodsThe target population for consideration of cholesterol-lowering therapy in a large, integrated health care delivery system population was identified in 2008 and followed up through 2013. The main analyses excluded those with known ASCVD, diabetes mellitus, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels