The China Rural Hypertension Control Project (CRHCP) rapidly and dramatically improved blood pressure control among its 5,000 patients in Liaoning province this year with bold changes in care delivery. Blood pressure control rates more than doubled, climbing to 68% by the end of 2024 from 32% in the first quarter.
Professor Sun Yingxian’s team at the First Hospital of China Medical Center, with support from Resolve to Save Lives, combined successful interventions from two randomized, controlled trials led by Dr. Sun with components of the WHO HEARTS technical package. Interventions included training village doctors to titrate medications based on a simple, standardized treatment protocol and providing village clinics with validated blood pressure devices that automatically upload data into a digital information system, which facilitates follow-up with patients who have hypertension. Village doctors were also trained to conduct health coaching on home blood pressure monitoring, lifestyle changes, and the importance of medication adherence.
Due to the dramatic success of combining the trial interventions with HEARTS, the Non-communicable Diseases division of China CDC has since committed to scale up the project to primary care centers in five demonstration zones promote comprehensive prevention and control of NCDs. This expansion, to be led by village doctors, has the potential to protect a population of 4 million people from the harms associated with high blood pressure.
Read more about Resolve to Save Lives works to bring high blood pressure under control worldwide.