Hypertension Initiatives, Strategies, Systems and Programs

High blood pressure prevention and control is a major area of focus in public health for the Government of Canada. In 2007, Canada reported the highest high blood pressure treatment and control rates in the world. According to the Ontario Blood Pressure Prevalence Survey, 66% of all individuals with hypertension in Ontario are treated and their blood pressure successfully controlled. These trends have been associated with the work done through the Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP) - a national program launched in 1999 to provide annual, comprehensive and evidence-based recommendations for managing hypertension.

Percentage of the population with high blood pressure who were aware but not treated, by sex and year, Canada, 1994-2003

Source: The Canadian Hypertension Education Program, using data from the National Population Health Survey and Canadian Community Health Survey (Statistics Canada).

Recognizing the importance of effective high blood pressure prevention and control, the Government of Canada has a number of initiatives to help Canadians decrease their risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease:

• Through the Integrated Strategy on Healthy Living and Chronic Disease, the Public Health Agency of Canada is implementing programs that aim to support healthy lifestyle choices. Enhancing physical activity, lowering sodium consumption, ensuring a higher intake of fruit and vegetables, reducing the harmful consumption of alcohol, avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight are means to prevent and control the occurrence of elevated blood pressure.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is investing $5.2M annually in its Cardiovascular Disease Program. The Program focuses on addressing gaps in cardiovascular disease surveillance, hypertension prevention, providing tools for self-management. The Program also funded the development of the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan by stakeholders from 2006-2009. The recommendations of this proposed Strategy are currently being assessed by the Public Health Agency of Canada in collaboration with the health portfolio.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada also conducts activities on knowledge development, exchange and dissemination regarding hypertension and is taking the lead in the production of a Report on Heart Disease and Stroke every two years. Since 2006 PHAC has provided more than one million dollars in support of hypertension related knowledge development and dissemination to public health professionals and the general public.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada has developed and sponsored a cross-sectional survey called the Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada (SLCDC) . This survey, done in collaboration with Statistics Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey collects information related to the experiences of Canadians with chronic health conditions, with a focus on hypertension in the 2009 survey.
• Through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Government of Canada has provided support for approximately 380 grants and awards on hypertension. CIHR funding for hypertension related research has grown steadily from $7.2 million in 2000-01 to $15.6 million in 2004-05.
• PHAC has been supporting the World Hypertension Day activities with an aim of communicating to the public the importance of hypertension and its serious medical complications, and to provide information on prevention, detection and treatment.
• In 2007, Health Canada established the expert Sodium Working Group to explore options for reducing sodium intake and cardiovascular disease among Canadians. Also in 2007, the Canada Food Guide was revised to advise Canadians to use the Nutrition Facts table to help choose foods lower in sodium.