Hypertension treatment and control among patients who have been hospitalized for heart failure varies significantly by race and gender, according to a report presented on Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla., HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report reports. Blood pressure control is recommended for patients with heart failure, according to HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report.

For the report, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina, analyzed data of more than 37,000 heart failure patients at 195 U.S. hospitals participating in AHA's Get With the Guidelines -- Heart Failure program. The program promotes the use of the most up-to-date treatment guidelines. Researchers found that almost two-thirds, or 62.3%, of the participants had been diagnosed with hypertension and that 67.3% of those were treated with three or more hypertension medications.

At the time of discharge, 63% of black men and 62.9% of black women had blood pressure controlled at an optimal level, compared with 76.3% of white men and 71.1% of white women. The rates of prescribed medication also varied by race and gender. According to the study, the "less-than-optimal blood pressure control levels and gender/racial disparities support continued emphasis on hypertension treatment and control among patients with heart failure" (HealthDay/U.S. News &World Report, 11/4).

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