Rural Health and Health Disparities in Hypertension Management: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Individuals living in rural areas have a higher prevalence of hypertension and a lower prevalence of blood pressure control. Factors contributing to the increased hypertension prevalence in rural populations include shortages of health care professionals, limited access to transportation and longer travel distances to care, lower health literacy, socioeconomic factors, and reduced access to pharmacies. Approaches to addressing barriers to effective hypertension management include expanding rural telehealth services, deploying mobile units, leveraging pharmacists, implementing remote blood pressure monitoring, and engaging community health workers. Health services need to be culturally tailored and address the unique challenges faced by rural communities. Further research is needed to identify effective methods for addressing health disparities experienced by rural populations related to hypertension management.