TY - JOUR T1 - Titration of antihypertensive agents after their initiation: an important clinical issue now addressed JF - Heart JO - Heart SP - 1721 LP - 1722 DO - 10.1136/heartjnl-2011-300378 VL - 97 IS - 21 AU - Johnny Yu Jiang AU - Martin C S Wong Y1 - 2011/11/01 UR - http://heart.bmj.com/content/97/21/1721.abstract N2 - The prevalence of hypertension in the USA has already reached >30% in the years 2005–8, but its control rate remains poor at approximately 40% in the same calendar years.1 Similarly low proportions of hypertensive patients achieving optimal blood pressure targets were observed in other countries, despite substantial evidence indicating the effectiveness of antihypertensive agents in reducing cardiovascular risks.2–4 A recent survey conducted in rural China found that 43.8% had hypertension, and among hypertensive patients only 26.2% and 22.2%, respectively, were aware of, and currently undergoing, antihypertensive treatment. Only 3.9% achieved optimal blood pressure control.5 The American Heart Association estimated that the direct and indirect costs of hypertension per year are more than 93.5 billion dollars, and cardiovascular diseases including stroke contributed to … ER -