The U.S. Institute of Medicine (also known as the IOM) has issued a new report that says high blood pressure, which affects one American in three, is the most neglected disease in the United States.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, may be a factor in one death in every six annually in the U.S., according to the report.

Part of the problem is that high blood pressure has few symptoms and many people don’t even realize they have it. This has been known for some time. High blood pressure has become known as a “silent killer” for that reason.

But this new report also says hypertension has become a “no man’s land in the medical community.” In other words, says Dr. David Fleming, head of the IOM committee behind report, high blood pressure falls between the cracks because it’s both a public health issue and a medical issue. Neither community, according to the report, is doing enough to combat it.

High blood pressure is easy to diagnose and cheap to treat. For many individuals, it’s also simple to prevent.

Since 1995, the number of deaths related to high blood pressure causes has jumped 25 percent.

Part of the problem is that many Americans don’t take the dangers of high blood pressure seriously.

The report also faulted doctors for not treating patients with high blood pressure aggressively enough,
especially in older people and those with high systolic pressure.

The report recommended several courses of action.

One approach included an appeal to health insurers to drop copayments and deductibles for high blood pressure medications.

The committee also urged Americans to educate themselves better about the importance of keeping their blood pressure in a normal range, and to have regular blood pressure readings taken. Lifestyle changes that include a healthy blood pressure diet and regular exercise would also help.

Dr. Fleming also urged physicians to do a better job of helping patients lower high blood pressure.

“Undiagnosed and uncontrolled cases are occurring at alarming rates,” Dr. Fleming states. “Even though many people with hypertension see their doctors regularly.

The report was sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.

See our related blog posting on how home blood pressure monitors help keep hypertension in check.

Doctors say that even if you know you have high blood pressure (hypertension), you may not understand the value of checking it often with a reliable home blood pressure monitor.

Using a home blood pressure monitor can be especially helpful if you’re trying to lower your blood pressure through diet and exercise, or with the help of blood pressure medication as prescribed by your doctor.

Cardiologists often recommend that individuals with hypertension take a blood pressure reading daily. There are several benefits.

* It reminds you that maintaining a normal blood pressure range is important for preventing heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.

* You can see if your blood pressure is starting to creep back up, which often happens.

* It will help you and your doctor determine how well your blood pressure medication is working (if you’re taking blood pressure medication, of course).

Use your home monitor to check your blood pressure at the same time every day.

According to the American Heart Association, it’s best to use an automatic, cuff-style, upper-arm monitor. The cuff should inflate automatically and give a digital readout.

Wrist monitors are okay if your arm is too large to fit into an arm cuff. Accuracy may be an issue however, because the reading may vary depending on the position of the arm and wrist during measurement.

Blood pressure monitors that you put on your finger are not considered reliable.

The Houston Chronicle online edition, chron.com, recently mentioned three home blood pressure monitors that have a good track record.

Microlife Advanced Digital Upper-Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Irregular Heartbeat Detection, Model 4104/3BT0-AP. Cost is $74.99

One of the benefits of this model is that gives you a warning signal if there’s an irregular heartbeat. It also stores up to 99 readings with date and time.

Omron Ultra Premium Wrist BP Monitor with PC Software, Model HEM-670IT. This monitor is a little more expensive at $119.99, but comes with an important capability: a sensor confirms positioning of the monitor at heart level for a more accurate reading. You can also transfer readings to your computer.

LifeSource Talking Auto-Inflation Blood Pressure Monitor, Model UA-767T. This one sells for $134.19. It’s a good choice for anyone with impaired vision. This monitor gives blood pressure reading and pulse in two ways: on a large digital display and as an audio announcement.

Approximately 75 million Americans have high blood pressure. About 3.5 million of those who have hypertension are kids. All are at increased risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Recent research also indicates that there’s a connection between high blood pressure and memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

In other words, there are plenty of good reasons for lowering high blood pressure. A home blood pressure monitor is one of the tools that can help you do it.