Blogs

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death in the United States. But patients who rely on specialty medications to keep their heart conditions under control now routinely see their care interrupted by insurance requirements. One common practice is known as non-medical switching.

May marks both Hypertension Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, highlighting an important but often overlooked connection between mental health and cardiovascular health. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease. Chronic high blood pressure contributes to serious medical conditions, including heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. 

Heart disease is a leading cause of death among women nationwide, but it does not affect all women equally. The chances a woman will suffer a cardiac event — and the likelihood she has seen a cardiologist this year — are heavily influenced by race, income and insurance coverage. One targeted policy proposal seeks to reverse that trend.

Heart disease is the top cause of death among Americans, but those risks are even higher in minority populations and rural communities. 

Hypertension is a leading complication of pregnancy. In fact, one in every 12 to 17 pregnancies is affected by the condition.

Compared to the public, veterans suffer from higher rates of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.

For patients with heart disease, getting on the right medicine quickly can mean the difference between a fatal cardiac event and another day doing what they love.

In a big win for heart patients, national guidelines to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy now include the first-of-its-kind medication – cardiac myosin inhibitors – as a first-line treatment.

Game-changing medical technology is on the line. Based on Nobel-prize winning science, genetically targeted technologies take on the proteins that cause disease. The medications are administered once or twice a year to treat rare and debilitating diseases, from Duchenne muscular dystrophy to high cholesterol.

Lower out-of-pocket prescription drugs costs spread more manageably across the calendar year. That’s what patients and policymakers alike hope to get from the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Finding the right medication for a heart condition can be tricky and time-consuming. So what happens when the insurance company then compels patients to switch?

Despite the range of existing treatment options, hypertension bears a growing burden on Americans and requires innovative solutions. A new policy paper from the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health, “Pressure’s Mounting,” hears cardiologists, nurses and patient advocates describe the widespread disease’s impact and the importance of individualized treatment.