Prince Frederick, MD – An estimated 75 million Americans have hypertension (high blood pressure). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, of those with high blood pressure approximately 48% do not have their blood pressure under control and 1/3 are not aware of the diagnosis. High blood pressure is the number one cause of stroke and leaving it untreated often leads to further complications.
Oral health is also an integral part of overall health and well-being. Most people see their dentist twice a year, making dentists an ideal partner in identifying high blood pressure in patients and referring to medical care for diagnosis and treatment.
With grant funding from the Maryland Department of Health, the Calvert County Health Department (CCHD) is partnering with Tidewater Dental, Gentle Family Dentistry and Calvert Community Dental Care to pilot a hypertension screening project. Starting in May 2017, these dental offices will implement blood pressure screening on all patients. For patients with potentially high blood pressure, a referral will be sent to their primary care provider for diagnosis and treatment. By identifying and treating undiagnosed hypertension through a collaboration between dental and medical care providers, Calvert County can significantly reduce heart disease death, disability and associated risk factors.
To learn more about high blood pressure, please visit www.heart.org.
To learn more about local resources to lower blood pressure, contact CCHD at 410-535-5400 ext 459