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ASH Education and Research Foundation

High blood pressure, or hypertension (HBP), has emerged as a significant contributor to heart disease, a leading cause of mortality in the United States. This alarming health concern now affects approximately 1 in 3 American adults, subjecting them to elevated risks of chronic kidney disease, strokes, and heart attacks or heart failure.

Given the profound impact of HBP on patient well-being, its widespread prevalence, and the dishearteningly low rate of control (with over half of Americans struggling to manage their HBP), the American Society of Hypertension (ASH) has taken the initiative to establish the ASH Education and Research Foundation. This foundation’s mission is to address this pressing national health issue by advancing the awareness, detection, prevention, and treatment of hypertension and its associated complications.

The ASH Foundation dedicates its efforts to supporting initiatives that enhance patient outcomes, promote translational research, provide hypertension education and services to patients and healthcare professionals, and advocate for patients and healthcare providers to achieve blood pressure targets. With the overarching goal of enhancing patient care, the foundation raises funds from both individuals and institutions to sponsor hypertension-related initiatives and programs.

Current Objectives of the ASH Foundation Include:

  • Securing Funding for National Hypertension Scientific Awards and Providing Travel Grants for Young Investigators;
  • Expanding ASH Hypertension Community Outreach;
  • Financing Initiatives Aimed at Enhancing Hypertension Patient Outcomes;
  • Implementing the ASH Website Hypertension Patient Portal;
  • Encouraging Hypertension as a Career Choice for Aspiring Physicians;

Strategies Employed by the ASH Foundation:

Aligned with the national objective of reducing hypertension rates in adults by 10% over the next decade, as per the DHHS “Healthy People 2020” initiative, the ASH Foundation has outlined the following strategies to achieve its objectives:

  • Initiating Hypertension Community Outreach Programs targeting patients and the public, with a special focus on underserved populations facing disparities;
  • Developing Patient Education Materials, Public Forums, Website Assistance, and Health Screenings;
  • Offering In-Service Training to healthcare personnel in community-based clinics, particularly primary care providers;
  • Designating Medical Practices as ASH Designated Hypertension Centers for patient referrals and establishing an online directory for designated clinical hypertension specialists;
  • Providing Hypertension Education for primary care physicians and other healthcare providers in both urban and rural areas, with an emphasis on underserved populations facing disparities;
  • Implementing Programs that emphasize the effective treatment of patients based on translational research (from laboratory research to clinical practice);
  • Initiating Programs to encourage physicians to become hypertension specialists, thereby addressing more challenging cases of hypertension;
  • Expanding the ASH Hypertension Registry to drive quality improvements and practice-based research;
  • Supporting Residency Programs in Hypertension and offering scholarships to young investigators;

To contribute to the ASH Foundation and avail of tax deductions, click here.

Quick Facts About Hypertension:

  • Approximately 31.3% of U.S. adults, or roughly one in three, suffer from high blood pressure, a significant risk factor for heart disease, strokes, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease[i];
  • In 2006, high blood pressure was listed as the primary or contributing cause of death for 326,000 Americans, costing the United States $76.6 billion in healthcare services, medications, and lost workdays in 2010[ii];
  • About 70% of those with high blood pressure who take medication have their condition under control, with an overall control rate of 46.6% among all hypertensive patients;
  • 25% of American adults have prehypertension, characterized by higher-than-normal blood pressure readings, but not yet in the high blood pressure range. Prehypertension raises the risk of developing high blood pressure;
  • Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of over 800,000 U.S. adults annually, with 150,000 of these deaths occurring in individuals under the age of 65;
  • Approximately 68 million U.S. adults have high blood pressure;
  • Nearly 2 out of 3 adults with high LDL cholesterol and around half of adults with high blood pressure fail to control their condition[iii];
  • Having health insurance alone is insufficient to ensure control, necessitating improvements in the delivery of healthcare services in the United States[iv].

[i] High Blood Pressure Facts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm.

[ii] 2.Lloyd-Jones D, Adams RJ, Brown TM, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2010 Update . A Report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation. 2010;121:e1-e170.

[iii] High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol: Out of Control in US, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, retrieved from, https://www.cdc.gov/Features/Vitalsigns/CardiovascularDisease/.

[iv] Vital Signs: High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, retrieved from, https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/.

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