The Department of Public Health has received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a program to identify undiagnosed hypertensive Georgians. DPH will develop the clinical criteria and create an algorithm to examine clinical data. GaHIN will work closely with DPH to identify members for participation, develop a recall protocol and exchange information through the Network.
Because hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, does not have any warning signs or symptoms, patients are dependent upon identification of the condition by their provider. If there is a missed diagnosis, the patient is at higher risk for heart disease and stroke. According to the CDC, high blood pressure was the primary or contributing cause of death for more than 410,000 Americans in 2014 - more than 1,100 deaths each day.
- Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States and Georgia
- About 75 million American adults (32%) have high blood pressure—that’s 1 in every 3 adults
- Only about half (54%) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control
- High blood pressure costs the nation $48.6 billion each year; this total includes the cost of health care services, medications to treat high blood pressure, and missed days of work
