September 19 and 20, the United Nations is holding its High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases – one of which is cardiovascular disease. In support of the U.N.’s meeting, the Center for Total Health hosted a summit to address one of the most significant contributing factors to cardiovascular disease: Hypertension. Held on September 15, the Hypertension and Heart Health Conference featured a panel of experts discussing the challenges of preventing, diagnosing and controlling high blood pressure.
Moderating the conference was Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief for Health Affairs. Speaking at the event were Richard McCarthy, MD, Kaiser Permanente’s physician-in-chief for District of Columbia and suburban Maryland, and Nils Daulaire, MD, director of global affairs for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Panelists included Elijah Saunders, MD, a founding member of the Association of Black Cardiologists; Ralph Brindis, MD, senior advisor for cardiovascular disease at Kaiser Permanente Northern California; and Janet Wright, MD, senior vice president for science and quality at the American College of Cardiology. Wright was recently named the director of the Million Hearts Initiative – a plan from the DHHS to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years through behavioral changes and clinical interventions.
Check out highlights of the event in the video below. And stay tuned for more excerpts from our conversations with the panelists.
