Hypertension (commonly known as high blood pressure) is a critical public health problem. Unmanaged hypertension is a strong predictor for acute cardiovascular complications such as heart attack, stroke, aneurysm and heart failure. The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) dedicates resources, education, and advocacy for the prevention of hypertension to better serve our communities and save lives. Join us in our health promotion initiatives for hypertension prevention. 

Become an ACPM Member


Prevention of Complications of Hypertension for Impacted Communities

Every year, nearly $45 billion is spent in direct and indirect medical expenses associated with unmanaged hypertension. Research indicates that prevention of hypertension would significantly reduce the number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular disease.

Hypertension prevention and treatment faces numerous barriers, many centered on social determinants of health:
 
  • African-American men, in particular, face a higher incidence of developing hypertension and frequently have fewer public health resources available to help them manage and prevent the disease.
From hypertension education programs to vital partnerships and projects, ACPM continues to take a proactive approach to reduce hypertension for our impacted communities.


Innovative Programs for African-American Men

In response to the challenge, ACPM is collaborating with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to prevent, detect, and control hypertension among African-American men, specifically, ages 45-64.

With support from the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, a part of the CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, ACPM is funding demonstration projects across five diverse clinical settings with majority African-American patients. The results and lessons learned from these practice-leading projects will be used to educate providers across the country on health promotion for hypertension that is focused on prevention, detection, and control of the disease for populations that have faced historic and systemic barriers to care and equitable health resourcing.

ACPM’s projects advance CDC hypertension prevention best practices, and through our hypertension initiatives, ACPM aims to elevate the national standard of care and break down barriers to promote effective prevention and management of the disease.


Hypertension Learning Collaborative

Health education on hypertension in our communities continues to expand. The Hypertension Learning Collaborative is an ACPM initiative to promote treating unmanaged hypertension for populations that have been systemically placed at high-burden of disease.

Through the Learning Collaborative, we explore strategies for clinics and communities to prevent high blood pressure among African-American adults. The Collaborative is a forum for sharing promising practices, innovative ideas, and lessons learned in four core areas: 
 
  • Screening, testing, and referral of individuals with or at risk for hypertension.
  • Engage this specific patient population in lifestyle education and self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP).
  • Addressing social needs and determinants of health that are barriers to controlling blood pressure.
  • Using data to track, report, and improve outcomes.
View Hypertension Resources


How it Works

Participants can anticipate leaving collaborative sessions with new ideas to improve their practice and patient outcomes. Through the online repository of slides and handouts, we’ll create a record of successful strategies with real-world track records that are available to others engaged in hypertension prevention and management.

Sessions occur on a quarterly basis and are conducted through webinars. We offer two brief presentations and an opportunity for questions. Participants may also opt to share their contact information with others for off-line follow-up.

If you would like to participate, please send a request to ACPM Program Assistant, Stephanie Madrigal at smadrigal@acpm.org and you will be added to the mailing list.


Join ACPM

Interested in learning more about how you can prevent hypertension? Join us and promote our initiatives or attend an educational opportunity to expand your skillset. As healthcare professionals, we have the opportunity to make a difference in the care and prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

ACPM is also a proud supporter of many other important initiatives impacting the medical field, such as:
  We are grateful for the continued support of our membership as we expand our approach to make a difference in the world of preventive medicine and beyond. To find out more about our initiatives, contact us at info@acpm.org or call (202) 466-2044.