American Society of Hypertension regional chapters: leveraging the impact of the clinical hypertension specialist in the local community

Hypertension control has remained at 24% to 27% for the past decade, despite revision of national treatment guidelines, expansion of therapeutic options, and evidence from clinical trials that higher control rates are attainable. Uncontrolled hypertension contributes to the enormous health and economic burden from cardiovascular and renal disease. The risk for hypertension-related complications is increasing in the United States as comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and congestive heart failure rise in a population that is becoming progressively older, more obese, and more ethnically diverse. Given regional variations in demographic characteristics and disease burdens, implementing evidence-based guidelines will be more effective if tailored appropriately to the local community. The Clinical Hypertension Specialist program is a positive response to an impending health care crisis. The impact of the Hypertension Specialist on blood pressure control can be leveraged by extending the academic mission of education, patient care, and health services research to the local community. The American Society of Hypertension regional chapter can serve as a forum for Clinical Hypertension Specialists from academic medicine and the community to define mutual goals, develop an action plan which is responsive to community needs, and monitor progress. With support from the chapter, Clinical Hypertension Specialists in the community can have an impact on the practice of medicine locally by contributing to the education of primary care providers, receiving referrals of patients with complicated hypertension, monitoring progress in meeting evidence-based goals, providing feedback to peers, and participating in multicenter trials.