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May 15th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) — “Team-based care” should be
used to improve patients’ blood pressure control, the U.S. Task Force on
Community Preventive Services recommended on Tuesday.
The recommendation is based on a review of 77 studies that showed
improvements in patients’ control of blood pressure when they received
care from a team of health professionals — a primary care doctor
supported by a pharmacist, nurse, dietitian, social worker, or community
health worker — rather than a primary care doctor alone.
The task force found that team-based care increased the percentage of
patients with controlled blood pressure, led to a decrease in both
systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure, and
improved results in patients with diabetes and elevated levels of blood
fats.
Team members assist primary care doctors by providing support and
sharing responsibility for high blood pressure care (such as managing
medications), doing patient follow-up, and helping patients stick to their
blood pressure control plan. Such a plan includes routinely monitoring
blood pressure, taking medications as prescribed, reducing sodium in the
diet, and increasing physical activity.
The review found that the greatest improvements in blood pressure
occurred when team members could change medications independently or with
the approval of the primary care doctor. Improvements were not as great
when team members were only permitted to oversee patients’ taking of
medications.
“Adoption of this model throughout the United States would improve
blood pressure control for the 68 million adult Americans who have high
blood pressure and reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke, and other
health problems,” Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, said in a CDC release.
“This analysis shows that when primary care physicians and other health
care professionals with different expertise and approaches work together
to support their patients, they can find the right formula for getting
blood pressure under control,” he added.
The CDC provides ongoing scientific and other support for the task
force, which published its findings in the Guide to Community
Preventive Services.
Complete findings from this review are expected to be published in May
2013.
High blood pressure was the main or a contributing cause of
approximately 336,000 American deaths in 2007. If all people with high
blood pressure were treated under the current clinical guidelines, it’s
estimated that 46,000 lives could be saved each year, the CDC said.
Team-based care is a major component of the Million Hearts initiative
launched in September 2011 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. The goal of the initiative is to prevent 1 million heart attacks
and strokes in the United States over five years.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about treating high blood pressure.
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