High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects millions of people in the United States. Even with medications and healthy habits, many people still have trouble lowering their blood pressure to a safe level.
This condition is known as persistent hypertension, and a new study from the Yale School of Medicine is trying to find better ways to help these patients.
Persistent hypertension means that a person’s blood pressure stays high even after treatment. There are several reasons this might happen. Some people have treatment-resistant hypertension, where their condition doesn’t respond well to medication. Others may not even know they have high blood pressure.
Some people may not be given the right medicine or dose, while others might stop taking their medication because of side effects. For some, issues like missing doctor’s appointments or not being able to afford healthcare make it hard to manage their condition.
To tackle this problem, Yale researchers created a system called “taxonomy.” This system groups patients based on what is making it hard for them to control their blood pressure. The goal is to offer more personalized care.
For example, if someone can’t afford their medicine, a social worker might help them find financial aid. If someone forgets to take their medicine, they might be given reminders or more information about why the medicine is important. If someone has a condition that makes medicine less effective, doctors can try different treatments.
The researchers are also using artificial intelligence (AI) to make the system work better. They are building tools that use machine learning and natural language processing to study patient records. These tools can help doctors quickly find patients who need extra help and connect them with the right support.
The new system will first be tested in the Yale New Haven Health System with 40,000 hospital staff and their families. If it works well, it could be used in other hospitals and even to help manage other chronic conditions like diabetes.
If you have high blood pressure, there are things you can do to help control it. Staying at a healthy weight, eating more fruits and vegetables, cutting back on salt and sugary foods, and exercising regularly all help.
Limiting alcohol, quitting smoking, and taking your medicine as your doctor says are also important. Medicines that may be used include diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers.
This research shows how important it is to treat each patient based on their own needs. Some people have high blood pressure for reasons that go beyond their medicine. By using AI and focusing on personal care, doctors can better understand each person’s situation and give them the right help.
The study was led by Dr. Yuan Lu and published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Researchers hope their new approach will help more people get their blood pressure under control and live healthier lives.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
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