Continuous Improvement and the Expansion of Quality ... - NCQA

C H R o N I C D I S E A S E M A N A G E M E N T
54
• Approximately 76.4 million (33.5 percent)
of people in the United States have high
2, 5
blood pressure.
• High blood pressure puts people at risk for
heart attacks and strokes. 3 over a lifetime,
people with hypertension have twice the
risk of stroke, compared with those without
hypertension. 4
N AT I o N A l C o M M I T T E E f o R Q U A l I T y A S S U R A N C E
CoNTRollING HIGH blooD PRESSURE
High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when the force of blood against artery walls
increases, leading to greater risk of heart disease. High blood pressure may result when the
arteries narrow or when the amount of blood the heart pumps increases. 1 The Controlling High
Blood Pressure measure assesses whether adults with high blood pressure manage their condition
by taking steps to lower their blood pressure and keep their scores within the normal range.
• Although the risk of developing
hypertension increases with age, 9 nearly
one in five young adults between the ages
of 24 and 32 has high blood pressure. of
these, only half are aware that they have
the condition. 6
• A study conducted by The National High
blood Pressure Education Program in 2002
indicated that reducing blood pressure by
5 mm Hg decreased death from stroke by
14 percent, death from coronary heart
disease by 9 percent and death from all
causes by 7 percent. 9
the Case for Improvement
• In 2007, over 46 million ambulatory care
visits were attributed to hypertension. 7
Hypertension was listed as a primary or
secondary diagnosis in over 8.7 million
hospital admissions. 1 The associated direct
and indirect medical costs were estimated
to be $43.5 billion. 1
• Approximately 69 percent of people who
suffer a first heart attack, 77 percent of
people who have a stroke and 79 percent
of people with congestive heart failure have
high blood pressure. 1
• only half of people with hypertension
10, 11
control their high blood pressure.
• life expectancy for people with
hypertension is 5.1 years shorter for
men and 4.9 years shorter for women,
compared with individuals who have
normal blood pressure. 8