US doctors are lax in treating hypertension, report says

A new report by the US Institute of Medicine calls hypertension a “neglected disease.” The institute recommends a range of public health interventions to reduce its prevalence.

“Although hypertension is relatively easy to prevent, simple to diagnose, and relatively inexpensive to treat, it remains the second leading cause of death among Americans,” said David Fleming, who led the study committee that wrote the report. He is director of public health for Seattle and King County, Washington.

Hypertension is the most common primary diagnosis in the United States, affecting about 73 million adults (one in three). Despite annual spending of $73bn (£47bn; €54bn) on related health care, high …