High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common health problem in the United States. While medications and lifestyle changes can help manage it, some people continue to struggle with persistent hypertension, where their blood pressure remains high despite treatment.
A recent study from the Yale School of Medicine investigated the reasons behind persistent hypertension. The researchers analyzed patients from Yale New Haven Health System who had five or more high blood pressure readings over several years.
They found that persistent hypertension is often caused by more than just treatment-resistant hypertension (when medications don’t work due to an underlying health condition).
Instead, many patients had other barriers to controlling their blood pressure, such as missed diagnoses, inadequate treatment, not taking medication as prescribed, or difficulty accessing healthcare. To address these challenges, researchers are developing a new system called a “taxonomy” to better identify and support these patients.
This system will categorize patients based on the specific reasons their blood pressure remains high. For example, some people may need financial assistance to afford medications, while others might benefit from more aggressive treatment.
By identifying the root causes, doctors can offer targeted solutions to help patients gain better control over their blood pressure.
To make this process efficient, researchers plan to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to scan electronic health records. This technology will help match patients with personalized care recommendations, making it easier for doctors to connect them with the right support.
The researchers hope to test this system at Yale New Haven Health System, starting with 40,000 hospital employees and their dependents. If successful, this approach could be used in other healthcare systems and even adapted for managing other chronic conditions, such as diabetes.
By addressing the underlying reasons for persistent hypertension, this system could help many people who have struggled to manage their blood pressure. The study was conducted by Yuan Lu and colleagues and was published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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