Task force strongly recommends blood pressure checks - Brief Article

AORN Journal,  Sept, 2003  

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One-third Of Patients with high blood pressure are not aware that they have the disease because they have no symptoms and have not been screened, according to a July 14, 2003, news release from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. High blood pressure, which can cause heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other problems, affects approximately 50 million adults in the United States. The US Preventive Services Task Force strongly recommends that clinicians measure blood pressure for all adults aged 18 and older because of evidence that early detection and treatment of high blood pressure can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The task force found insufficient evidence, however, that blood pressure measurement in children and adolescents accurately identifies those at higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

Prevention Experts Urge High Blood Pressure Screening For All Adults Age 18 and Older (news release, Rockville, Md: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality July 14, 2003).

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