IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1656 

Raising awareness of hypertension and helping to reverse its prevalence in 

the United States through education, community programs, culturally 

competent strategies, research, and efforts to reduce the excess salt 

content in foods. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mr. BACA, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. 

BORDALLO, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. 

CLAY, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RANGEL, and Mr. 

HINOJOSA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Raising awareness of hypertension and helping to reverse 

its prevalence in the United States through education, 

community programs, culturally competent strategies, research, and efforts to reduce the excess salt content 

in foods. 

Whereas hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is 

a cardiovascular condition in which systolic blood pressure is consistently at or above 140 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure at or above 90 

mmHg; 


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Whereas high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart 

disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of 

death in the United States, as well as congestive heart 

failure and kidney disease; 

Whereas approximately one out of three adults in the United 

States (74,500,000 people) has hypertension and one out 

of four is pre-hypertensive, which means that they have 

higher-than-normal blood pressure and are at increased 

risk for developing hypertension; 

Whereas high blood pressure is directly and indirectly responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the United States 

each year, and its prevalence is expected to grow due to 

a large aging population and high rates of obesity and diabetes; 

Whereas despite the fact that hypertension is the most commonly diagnosed chronic condition in the United States, 

more than one out of five individuals is unaware that 

they have high blood pressure; 

Whereas high blood pressure is known as the ‘‘silent killer’’ 

because there are often no signs or symptoms that indicate that an individual’s blood pressure has reached a 

deadly level; 

Whereas misconceptions about hypertension risks, causes, 

and treatments, as well as poor communication between 

health care providers and patients and inadequate access 

to primary care, have contributed to large numbers of 

undiagnosed and unmanaged high blood pressure; 

Whereas although hypertension is a national problem, hypertension is especially prevalent in the Southeast, which 

also has high rates of poverty, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular and kidney disease; 


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Whereas African-Americans have the highest prevalence of 

hypertension in the United States and are more likely to 

develop hypertension at earlier ages, develop cardiovascular morbidity and disability, and die from hypertension or hypertension-related illnesses; 

Whereas higher occurrences of salt sensitivity, cardiovascular 

and renal disease, poverty, genetic predisposition, and social, cultural, and environmental factors all contribute to 

disproportionately high rates of hypertension among African-Americans; 

Whereas this racial disparity is further pronounced by gender, with approximately 44 percent of African-American 

women in the United States having high blood pressure 

compared to approximately 30 percent of women in the 

United States as a whole; 

Whereas furthermore, women with high blood pressure are 

more likely to experience certain complications during 

pregnancy, including kidney and other organ damage, low 

birth weight, early delivery, stillbirth, and maternal mortality; 

Whereas although hypertension is lower among Hispanics 

than other groups, Hispanics often have low levels of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control, which can 

increase the likelihood of hypertension-related mortalities; 

Whereas high blood pressure often accompanies conditions 

that are associated with aging, however, it is increasingly 

more common among younger people due to high rates of 

child obesity, salt consumption, inactivity, and heredity; 

Whereas despite these trends, advances in medical science, 

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ageable condition that can be prevented, delayed, or reversed; 

Whereas weight management, healthy eating habits, exercise, 

decreased salt, caloric, and cholesterol intake, the proper 

combination of antihypertensive medication, and being 

knowledgeable of blood pressure levels are all proven 

ways to prevent and manage hypertension; 

Whereas in particular, a diet high in sodium (salt) increases 

one’s risk for developing high blood pressure and the average person in the United States consumes almost 1.5 

times the daily maximum value of salt established by the 

Department of Health and Human Services; 

Whereas many consumers do not know how to read food labels, which makes it difficult to understand which foods 

have unhealthy or dangerous levels of sodium and to 

make informed decisions; 

Whereas low-income individuals and families, and those living 

in food deserts, frequently have limited options and are 

forced to choose foods that have high salt content and 

low nutritional value; 

Whereas a study by the American Medical Association concluded that 150,000 lives could be saved in the United 

States each year if the sodium content in processed foods 

and restaurant foods, which account for approximately 

77 percent of the salt intake for people in the Nation, 

were decreased by 50 percent; and 

Whereas health care providers, patients, communities, governmental entities, the food industry, and health-focused organizations must work together to increase awareness of 

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pertension prevention, treatment, and control: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) encourages individuals to be proactive about 

3 their health and to become knowledgeable of their 

4 blood pressure as well as their risk for hypertension; 

5 (2) supports community-based programs that 

6 use culturally competent and evidence-based strate7 gies to address hypertension; 

8 (3) recognizes the importance of linking hyper9 tension awareness programs to other existing pro10 grams that address health concerns such as diabetes 

11 and obesity at the community health and develop12 ment levels; 

13 (4) supports further research that provides a 

14 better understanding of how hypertension affects 

15 communities that have been historically underrep16 resented in demographic studies and clinical trials 

17 for antihypertensive drugs, as well as solutions to 

18 addressing these issues; and 

19 (5) calls for the Food and Drug Administration 

20 to set mandatory national standards, including im21 proved nutrition labeling, for the sodium content in 

22 foods, especially those sold in grocery stores and 

23 served in schools and restaurants. 

Æ 


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