California Chronic Care Coalition President & CEO Liz Helms issued the following statement in response to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension released October 7^th 2020:

“The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, MPH has issued a call to action to control hypertension, prioritizing this chronic condition as a key concern and requests that stakeholders focus on alleviating burden. The call to action provides an overview of the current state of hypertension control in the U.S. and includes goals and sector-specific recommendations. We applaud the Surgeon General’s focus on hypertension and efforts to reduce prevalence and severity. Hypertension remains one of the most common conditions, where an estimated half of all Americans have it, but only 25% have their condition under control. Hypertension is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, two leading causes of death in America. In addition, hypertension has been shown to be a risk factor for developing severe complications from COVID-19. The lessons from this pandemic have underscored the importance of focusing on reducing hypertension rates across the country and requires an acceleration of efforts by stakeholders to do so.

We are proud to be a member of the CDC’s National Hypertension Control Roundtable (NHCR), a public, private and non-profit partnership dedicated to improving national hypertension control rates to 80% and reducing disparities in hypertension control by 2025. In partnership with the NHCR, we look forward to collaborating with the Surgeon General, the CDC’s Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Million Hearts Initiative, and other organizations focused on reducing the burden of this chronic condition in America.

It is critical we turn our attention to addressing the state of hypertension in the U.S., with prevention woven through innovative, collaborative approaches on this endeavor.”

To read the Surgeon General’s Call to Action visit https://bit.ly/2I0Oggh.

For more information about the CDC’s National Hypertension Control Roundtable visit https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/programs/hypertension-roundtable.htm.

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 The California Chronic Care Coalition is a unique alliance of more than 30 leading consumer health organizations including physician and provider groups representing Californians living with chronic conditions. We advise and promote the collaborative work of policy makers, industry leaders and patient-centered stakeholders emphasizing access to affordable, quality healthcare focusing on all levels of prevention, coordinated care, and the wellness and longevity of patients.