From Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, a study was conducted in the prevalence of heart disease in Oakland, California. In their 2018 Annual Report, here is what they have to say:
Dr. Sidney believes improved management of high blood pressure could be especially effective, given the condition’s prevalence and the relative ease and affordability of treatment. Introduced in 2001, Kaiser Permanente’s hypertension management program in Northern California nearly doubled the rate of blood pressure control in adults with hypertension by 2009. Likewise, two previous studies showed that the rate of more severe but less common heart attacks fell about three quarters from 1999 to 2014 among the region’s members. (Kaiser Permanente, 2018)
In their most recent annual report for 2019, they have made progress. Since 2017, Kaiser Permanente hospitals have begun including remote cardiac devices that help for “round-the-clock diagnosis.” With remote diagnosis, patients only need to visit once a year instead of constant monitoring (Kaiser Permanente National Implant Registries, 2019).
However, the problem still remains as Kaiser Permanente and others fight to increase high blood pressure control and heart health awareness around vulnerable communities in the Bay Area. To read more, find out in our compilation “The Cardiovascular Disparity in Lower-Income Communities.”
Read More about Kaiser Permanente’s annual reports from2018 and 2019:
https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/static/health/annual_reports/kp_annualreport_2018/
