Resources for Individuals and Patients
American Heart Month 2022
Uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension) is too common and dangerous. It puts people at risk for heart disease, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, vision loss, peripheral artery disease, sexual dysfunction, pregnancy complications, and cognitive decline.
The resources, strategies, and plain language materials in this toolkit can help you communicate with people about the consequences of high blood pressure and how they can take charge of their high blood pressure management.
Who Should Use This Toolkit?
This toolkit is designed for anyone who works with patients or individuals with hypertension.
Use these resources to help manage high blood pressure in your communities.
How Do I Use This Toolkit?
- Share patient-friendly resources in your clinics and virtual waiting rooms.
- Link to plain language educational resources to help people learn about high blood pressure.
- Copy social messages and graphics and share them with individuals and patients in your social networks.
- Use these tools in tandem with the actions recommended in The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension.
Tools and Resources for Patients
Explore and share handouts and patient-friendly web content that patients can use to help take control of their high blood pressure.
- Managing My Blood Pressure pdf icon[PDF – 173 KB]
Patients can use this printable list of questions to ask their health care team to help them manage their blood pressure. (Also available en Español pdf icon[PDF – 199 KB].) - My Blood Pressure Log pdf icon[PDF – 611 KB]
People can use this printable log to keep track of their blood pressure measurements at home. (Also available in en Español pdf icon[PDF – 585 KB].) - My First Blood Pressure Visit pdf icon[PDF – 105 KB]
Encourage patients to record important blood pressure–related information on this page before their appointments. (Also available en Español pdf icon[PDF – 125 KB].) - The Correct Way to Measure Blood Pressureimage icon
Share this graphic with patients, family, and friends to show them the correct way to measure blood pressure. (Also available in en Español pdf icon[PDF – 222 KB].)
- Alliance for the Million Hearts® Campaign Partner Toolkitexternal icon
Share lifesaving messages to “Start Small. Live Big.” to encourage adults, particularly those age 55 and older, to get back on track with the small steps, such as scheduling their medical appointments, getting active, and eating healthy. - 5 Surprising Facts About High Blood Pressure
What people don’t know about high blood pressure could hurt them! Share this easy-to-read webpage with your patients. - Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) Monitoring: Resources for Patientsexternal icon
Share these resources with patients to show how SMBP monitoring, also known as home blood pressure monitoring, plus clinical support can help people with hypertension lower their blood pressure. - Measure Your Blood Pressure
Use this website to teach patients why they should measure their blood pressure regularly and where they can get it checked. - Prevent and Manage High Blood Pressure
Help patients manage high blood pressure with this plain language content about making healthy choices and managing other health conditions. - Tips for Taking Blood Pressure Medicines as Directedexternal icon (video)
Share this animated video developed by CDC to help people “stick to the ‘script!”
Kids and Teens
- High Blood Pressure in Kids and Teens
Share this webpage about what parents can do to help their kids maintain a healthy weight and blood pressure.
Pregnant People
- High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
Use this website to help describe why high blood pressure during pregnancy should be avoided and what patients can do to manage high blood pressure before, during, and after pregnancy.
- Blood Pressure 101: Know the Basicsexternal icon
Share this quiz to help your networks brush up on their blood pressure basics. - Do You Know How to Measure Your Blood Pressure?external icon
Do your patients know how to measure their blood pressure? Share this quiz.
Spread the Word
Share these social media messages with your followers.
February is American #HeartMonth! Join CDC this month in raising awareness about cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. There’s work to be done across all age groups, not just among older adults. cdc.gov/heartmonth
Regularly monitoring your blood pressure, with support from your health care team, can help lower your risk for heart disease and stroke. You can check your blood pressure at the doctor’s office, at a pharmacy, or even at home! Learn more from CDC [tag]. https://bit.ly/2iFB6U5external icon #HeartMonth
High blood pressure is often called the silent killer. You might not have symptoms, but it’s a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Monitoring your own blood pressure at home can help you keep your blood pressure under control. https://bit.ly/2iFB6U5external icon #HeartMonth
1 in every 3 deaths in the United States are related to cardiovascular disease. This #HeartMonth, explore shareable resources from CDC to help you and your peers make heart-healthy choices and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. cdc.gov/heartmonth
Taking care of your heart can be as simple as the ABCS. Talk with your health care team about Aspirin, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation. https://bit.ly/37XbNJBexternal icon #HeartMonth
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) doesn’t affect just older adults; data show that younger populations are increasingly affected by CVD. Use CDC’s #HeartMonth toolkits, featuring a variety of free and shareable resources, to raise awareness of CVD in your community. cdc.gov/heartmonth
February is American #HeartMonth! Join @CDCHeart_Stroke this month in raising awareness about cardiovascular disease (#CVD) prevention across all age groups, especially adults ages 35 to 64. cdc.gov/heartmonth
Regularly monitoring your #BloodPressure, with support from your health care team, can help lower your risk for #HeartDisease and stroke. Check your blood pressure at the doctor’s office, at a pharmacy, or even at home! Learn more. https://bit.ly/2iFB6U5external icon #HeartMonth
High #BloodPressure is often called the silent killer. You might not have symptoms, but it’s a leading risk factor for #HeartDisease and stroke. Monitoring your own blood pressure at home can help you keep your blood pressure under control. https://bit.ly/2iFB6U5external icon #HeartMonth
It’s never too early to make heart-healthy choices. This #HeartMonth, learn how to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease (#CVD) with toolkits from @CDCHeart_Stroke. www.cdc.gov/heartmonth
Taking care of your #heart can be as simple as the ABCS. Talk with your health care team about Aspirin, #BloodPressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation. https://bit.ly/37XbNJBexternal icon #HeartMonth
It’s a common misconception that cardiovascular disease (#CVD) occurs only in older adults—but data show that younger populations are increasingly affected by CVD. Help improve heart health in your community w/ #HeartMonth resources from @CDCHeart_Stroke. cdc.gov/heartmonth
Review and share our materials for public health professionals to help your communities control hypertension.
Implement our clinical tools and resources on hypertension control in your practice, and share the tools with your team.
