The Legislature finds and declares that high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a widespread and serious public health problem in California. This condition, when untreated, is a major contributor to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and related cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although high blood pressure can be effectively controlled through the use of now well established antihypertensive drugs, treatment is not always adequately utilized.

It is estimated that there are two million adults in California who have high blood pressure. It is further estimated, based on national data, that no more than 71 percent of all adult Californians with high blood pressure are aware of their condition, and that of those who are aware, only 40 percent are being effectively treated. Thus, of some two million California adults with high blood pressure, only about 568,000 have their condition adequately controlled. Unless the problem of uncontrolled high blood pressure among some 1,432,000 adults is promptly addressed, many of these individuals will experience preventable serious illness, disability and death. In addition, the state will continue to face unnecessary medical and welfare costs resulting from high blood pressure and its resulting effects. Consequently, it is necessary to provide for expanded statewide efforts, interface with relevant federal legislation, establish and maintain appropriate guidelines, and enhance high blood pressure control activities at the community level. Coordination of local and state efforts in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of high blood pressure control activities is required, in order to improve allocations and utilization of resources to control high blood pressure in the states population.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 1996.)