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...hygienists an ideal setting to screen for this silent disease. This study was designed to determine how frequently group of practicing dental hygienists performs screenings for hypertension on their patients, and to determine the barriers that prevent this screening from occurring.
Methods. One hundred one dental hygienists were questioned with a written survey about their blood pressure screening practices and their reasons for not taking blood pressure readings, if applicable.
Results. Sixty-seven dental hygienists completed the survey. Survey results revealed that the majority of dental hygienists were not recording blood pressure readings, even though their dental hygiene school curriculum had emphasized doing so for all patients. The most frequently cited reasons for not performing a routine blood pressure screening were insufficient time in the appointment and the minimal value given to the procedure by their employers.
Conclusion. To work against obstacles that prevent the provision of this service, dental and dental hygiene faculty must increase their efforts to inculcate in their students the value of blood pressure screening. Further studies are needed to determine if the findings of this study are indicative of only one segment of dental hygiene practitioners, or if they represent the norm in the profession.
Keywords: hypertension, high blood pressure, dental hygienists, dentists
Introduction
Hypertension, or high blood pressure (HBP), is defined as having a systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher and diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher. (1) If not properly controlled, hypertension can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure. According to the American Heart Association, one in five Americans has hypertension, and 31.6% of these people are asymptomatic and unaware of their condition. (1) In addition, it is estimated that hypertension precedes the development of congestive heart failure in 91% of cases. (1,2) Furthermore, high blood pressure is associated with a two to three times greater risk of developing congestive heart failure. (2)
In both 1999 and 2000, heart disease was the first cause of death in the United States, and stroke was the third. (3) Although the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke decreased between 1999 and 2000, the number of deaths directly related to high blood pressure increased by 3.2%. (3) Preliminary data for 2001 showed a further increase to 8.7 deaths per 100,000 from hypertensive heart disease and 6.7 deaths per 100,000 from stroke. (3)
The prevalence of HBP among people living in the Southeast is greater than in any other region of the United States. (1) Death rates from stroke are also higher in this area. One of the reasons that these statistics are significant is the large African American population in the southeastern United States. On average, African Americans develop high blood pressure earlier in life and have a higher average blood pressure than Caucasians. (1) As a result, African Americans have a higher rate of stroke, heart disease, and end-stage kidney disease. (1,4)
According to the Framingham Heart Study conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), there is a 90% likelihood that men and women between 55 and 65 years old will develop high blood pressure within 10 years. (1) Since the life expectancy of Americans is increasing, there is an increased likelihood of death from high blood pressure-related illnesses. (5) In 2001, there were 2,064 deaths per 100,000 from heart and cerebrovascular diseases in people 65 years and older. (6)
In 1972, the NHLBI of the National Institutes of Health developed...
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Finding the truth., September 22, 2004
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