The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension seeks to avert the negative health effects of hypertension. Hypertension is a permanently high blood pressure. About half Americans suffer from it.
The US Surgeon General calls to identify evidence-based interventions that can be implemented, adapted, and expanded in diverse settings across the United States.
To improve hypertension control, the Call to Action sets three goals, and each goal is supported by strategies to achieve success:
Goal 1
Make hypertension control a national priority. The strategies to achieve this goal include:
- increase awareness of health risks
- recognize economic burden
- and eliminate disparities
Goal 2
Ensure that the places where people live, learn, work, and play support hypertension control. The strategies to achieve this goal include:
- promote physical activity opportunities
- promote health food opportunities,
- and connect to lifestyle change resources
Goal 3
Optimize patient care for hypertension. The strategies to achieve this goal include:
- use standardized treatment approaches
- promote team-based care
- empower and equip patients
- and recognize and reward clinicians
Further activities
The Call to Action also:
- Recognizes the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age directly impact opportunities for success and drive health equity.
- Focuses on specific and tangible interventions that can be tailored, replicated, and scaled to impact one of the highest burden health conditions in the United States.
- Provides targeted strategies that different sectors can take to collectively improve hypertension control across the United States.
To learn more about the Call to Action and read other reports, visit the Office of the Surgeon General.
What Does the Surgeon General Do?
The U.S. Surgeon General serves as the nation’s top public health spokesperson, offering information and guidance on improving public health practices and outcomes.
Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, this individual heads the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a group of public health professionals engaged in promoting public health and disease prevention programs.
The Surgeon General is also responsible for issuing reports on health issues that range from smoking and drug use to mental health and obesity, aiming to raise awareness and promote healthier living across the country.
