Report: High Blood Pressure Too Low a Priority for Docs

By Monifa Thomas, Chicago Sun-Times

High blood pressure affects nearly one in three adults and is the second-leading cause of preventable deaths, but it's still a "neglected disease," according to a report Monday from the respected Institute of Medicine that criticizes doctors for too often failing to treat the condition aggressively.

The U.S. death rate from high blood pressure, or hypertension, rose 25 percent between 1995 and 2005, even though it's relatively simple to prevent and treat.

Yet, many doctors don't treat hypertension as aggressively as they should, the report said, especially in older people and those with high systolic pressure -- that's the upper number in a blood pressure reading.

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