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Some five million Americans aged 65 and older are not taking their blood pressure medicine properly, putting them at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and early death, a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday.
The CDC report found that seven out of 10 U.S. adults aged 65 and older have high blood pressure, but nearly half do not have their blood pressure under control.
The findings were based on an analysis of more than 18.5 million people enrolled in 2014 in Medicare Part D, a federal program that subsidizes the costs of prescription drugs for seniors.
It showed at least 25 percent of older adults with Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance are not taking their blood pressure medicine as directed, which means they may skip doses or stop taking it altogether.
The study also found the percentage of Medicare Part D enrollees not taking their blood pressure medicine is higher among certain racial and ethnic groups, such as American Indian, Alaska Native, Black and the Hispanic.
There are also geographic differences, said the report. Southern U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have the highest overall rates of not taking blood-pressure medicines as directed, while North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have the highest rates of people who do take their medicine as directed.
The U.S. agency said health care systems can take several important actions to help more people take their life-saving medicines as directed, such as simplifying blood pressure treatment and prescribing generic medicines.
"A simple action can avoid potentially deadly consequences: take your blood pressure medicine as prescribed," CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a statement. "Health care providers can make treatment easier to help people keep their blood pressure controlled."
(APD)
