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Over its 80-year history, the University of Washington School of Dentistry has trained nearly 7,000 dental professionals, many of whom stay in Washington. But the School’s service doesn’t start at graduation. UW dental students, faculty members and community volunteers provide free care to communities across Washington, serving hundreds of patients each academic quarter.  

The UW’s community collaborations span the state. In recent months, the School of Dentistry has offered care in Toppenish, Moses Lake and Longview, alongside monthly service days at Union Gospel Mission in Seattle and quarterly mobile clinics. Patients receive oral health exams, fillings, tooth extractions and cleanings. 

“The work we do in communities across the state is a great example of why the UW is often called the University for Washington,” said André Ritter, dean of the UW School of Dentistry. “These programs and partnerships advance the mission of the UW and the School in significant ways through education and clinical care.” 

The clinics are organized through the School’s Office of Educational Partnerships, which is solely focused on improving the oral health of people in the Pacific Northwest. OEP coordinates outreach programs that address the distinct needs of each community. Dental students have the opportunity to serve in outreach clinics or act as mentors for middle- and high-school students, encouraging them to pursue dental education and eventually serve their own communities.  

Dental students typically begin seeing patients near the start of their third year. At the UW, however, students have the opportunity to work in clinical settings in underserved communities the summer after their first year through the Rural and Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP).  

The School also offers a specific educational track that trains dentists to work in rural and underserved communities. Operated in conjunction with Eastern Washington University and the UW School of Medicine, the program — Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) — has seen over 80% of its graduates return to rural and underserved communities across the Pacific Northwest. 

“Oral health is an essential part of overall well-being, and everyone deserves access to high-quality dental care,” said Amy Kim, a UW clinical associate professor of pediatric dentistry and director of the Office of Educational Partnerships. “We recognize that it is our duty and privilege to serve those who need it most.” 

 The UW School of Dentistry will continue its service and outreach programs throughout the fall and winter quarters. For more information or to learn about upcoming service days, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Warmer weather across the globe is reshaping the landscape of human health. Case in point: Dengue fever incidence could rise as much as 76% by 2050 due to climate warming across a large swath of Asia and the Americas, according to a new study led by Marissa Childs, a researcher at the University of Washington. 

Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease once confined largely to the tropics, often brings flu-like symptoms. Without proper medical care, it can escalate to severe bleeding, organ failure, and even death.  

The study, published Sept. 9 in PNAS, is the most comprehensive estimate yet of how temperature shifts affect dengue’s spread. It provides the first direct evidence that a warming climate has already increased the disease’s toll.  

“The effects of temperature were much larger than I expected,” said Childs, a UW assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences who conducted much of the research as a doctoral student at Stanford University. “Even small shifts in temperature can have a big impact for dengue transmission, and we’re already seeing the fingerprint of climate warming.” 

The study analyzed over 1.4 million observations of local dengue incidence across 21 countries in Central and South America and Southeast and South Asia, capturing both epidemic spikes and background levels of infection.  

Dengue thrives in a “Goldilocks zone” of temperatures — incidence peaks at about 27.8 degrees Celsius, or 82 degrees Fahrenheit, rising sharply as cooler regions warm but dropping slightly when already-hot areas exceed the optimal range. As a result, some of the largest increases are projected for cooler, high-population regions in countries such as Mexico, Peru and Brazil. Many other endemic regions will continue to experience larger, warming-fueled dengue burdens. By contrast, a few of the hottest lowland areas may see slight declines.  

Still, the net global effect is a steep rise in disease. 

The findings suggest that higher temperatures from climate change were responsible for an average 18% increase of dengue incidence across 21 countries in Asia and the Americas from 1995 to 2014 — translating to more than 4.6 million extra infections annually, based on current incidence estimates. Cases could climb another 49% to 76% by 2050 depending on greenhouse gas emissions levels, according to the study. At the higher end of the projections, incidence of dengue would more than double in many cooler locations, including areas in the study countries that are already home to over 260 million people.  

“Many studies have linked temperature and dengue transmission,” said senior author Erin Mordecai, a professor of biology in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. “What’s unique about this work is that we are able to separate warming from all the other factors that influence dengue — mobility, land use change, population dynamics — to estimate its effect on the real-world dengue burden. This is not just hypothetical future change but a large amount of human suffering that has already happened because of warming-driven dengue transmission.” 

The researchers cautioned that their estimates are likely conservative. They do not account for regions where dengue transmission is sporadic or poorly reported, nor do they include large endemic areas such as India or Africa where detailed data is lacking or not publicly available. The researchers also highlighted recent locally acquired cases in California, Texas, Hawaii, Florida, and in Europe — a signal of the expanding range of dengue. Urbanization, human migration and the evolution of the virus could amplify risks, while medical advances may help blunt them, making projections uncertain. 

Aggressive climate mitigation would significantly reduce the dengue disease burden, according to the study. At the same time, adaptation will be essential. This includes better mosquito control, stronger health systems and potential widespread use of new dengue vaccines. 

In the meantime, the findings could help guide public health planning and strengthen efforts to hold governments and fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change damages. Attribution studies are increasingly entering courtrooms and policy debates, used to assign responsibility for climate damages and to support funds compensating countries most affected.  

“Climate change is not just affecting the weather — it has cascading consequences for human health, including fueling disease transmission by mosquitoes,” Mordecai said. “Even as the U.S. federal government moves away from investing in climate mitigation and climate and health research, this work is more crucial than ever for anticipating and mitigating the human suffering caused by fossil fuel emissions.” 

Co-authors of the study include Kelsey Lyberger of Arizona State University, Mallory Harris of the University of Maryland, and Marshall Burke of Stanford. Lyberger and Harris completed much of their work while at Stanford.   

The research was funded by the Illich-Sadowsky Fellowship through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship program at Stanford University; an Environmental Fellowship at the Harvard University Center for the Environment; the National Institutes of Health; the National Science Foundation (with the Fogarty International Center); the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health; the Stanford King Center on Global Development; and the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. 

Adapted from a press release by Stanford University. For more information or to contact the researchers, email Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Two University of Washington faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences:

• Adrienne Fairhall, professor of neurobiology and biophysics, and adjunct professor of applied mathematics
• David Hertzog, Arthur B. McDonald Professor of Physics and director at the Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics

Fairhall and Hertzog are among 120 new members and 30 international members elected “in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research,” announced April 29 by the Academy. Chartered in 1863, the National Academy of Sciences provides policy advice and input to governmental, nonprofit and private organizations.

Fairhall’s group at UW Medicine develops theoretical approaches to understand how nervous systems process information. She collaborates with experimental labs across the UW, examining information processing in systems that range from single neurons — nerve cells that receive and conduct signals — to neural networks. She’s studied how mosquitoes use heat and chemical cues to forage, and how neural inputs drive muscle activation and biomechanics in hydra — tiny, tentacled invertebrates that live in water.

Fairhall grew up in Australia. She completed her master’s and Ph.D. in physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. She was a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University before joining the UW School of Medicine faculty in 2004. Among Fairhall’s honors and awards are a Sloan Fellowship, a Burroughs Wellcome “Careers at the Scientific Interface” Fellowship and a McKnight Scholar Award. She was named an Allen Institute Distinguished Investigator. In 2022, she was Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris.

Hertzog leads the UW Precision Muon Physics Group, a research group that has designed and constructed detectors for high-precision experiments with muons — similar to electrons, but about 200 times more massive — conducted at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago. The UW team also has led efforts to analyze the massive amounts of data produced in that experiment, known as the Muon g-2 experiment.

The overarching goal is to test the Standard Model — a theory to describe how the universe works at its most fundamental level. Studying the behavior of muons may help determine whether muons are interacting solely with known particles and forces, or if unknown particles or forces exist.

Hertzog completed his Ph.D. in physics at The College of William & Mary. Following time at Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Illinois, he joined the UW as a professor in 2010. He’s served on numerous scientific advisory committees and panels and is coauthor of more than 200 papers and technical reports. He has mentored or co-mentored more than 20 Ph.D. students and 15 postdoctoral researchers.

With this year’s additions, the National Academy of Sciences now has 2,662 active members and 556 international members.

Many traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, effectively destroy cancer cells but often lead to severe side effects that leave patients feeling even more sick.

Two University of Washington researchers are developing treatments that aim to simultaneously treat cancer and improve patients’ quality of life. Miqin Zhang, UW professor of materials science and engineering and of neurological surgery in the UW School of Medicine, develops tiny systems that deliver cancer treatment specifically to cancer cells. Dr. Avik Som, UW assistant professor of materials science and engineering and of radiology in the UW School of Medicine, uses interventional radiology to precisely deliver cancer treatment to the body.

Both Zhang and Som are studying a cancer treatment method called immunotherapy, where a patient’s own immune cells are trained to target and destroy cancer cells. The two researchers are now collaborating with the goal of getting their therapeutics into the clinic.

For World Cancer Day, UW News asked Zhang and Som to discuss their novel materials and how these materials can treat both the cancer and the patient.

Tell us about your research in this area. 

Miqin Zhang: One of our key research areas is developing biocompatible nanoplatforms for cancer diagnosis, treatment and therapy-response monitoring. For example, one of our recent advances is using tiny particles called nanoparticles to deliver immunotherapies or vaccines in preclinical animal models. The payloads from these nanoparticles activate immune cells to eradicate drug-resistant solid tumors and metastases.

In general, our nanoplatforms provide tumor specificity in two unique ways:

• The nanoparticles can carry diverse payloads — including chemotherapeutics and genetic materials — to address tumor heterogeneity
• We can use different methods to trigger our nanoparticles to release their payloads, such as changing the temperature or pH. Other methods include using enzymes or magnetic fields.

Our systems are designed for versatility and can work in tandem with various tumor-targeting and therapeutic agents.

Avik Som: I am a physician-scientist with clinical training in interventional radiology, with a specific focus in interventional oncology. In this field we often deliver therapy directly to single lesions using small needles and wires. This eliminates the need for invasive surgery in patients who are often too sick for surgery.

My research expertise has focused on developing novel drug delivery materials and techniques for interventional radiologists to use, including in the field of immunotherapy. Interventional radiologists have long succeeded at delivering therapy highly precisely within the body. Using the best of material science, my lab looks at changing what we’re delivering to heal our patients of both their cancer and the underlying ravages that the cancer has caused.

How can your materials both extend patients’ lives and improve their quality of life?

MZ: Our new nanoparticle materials promise more effective and less harmful treatments in a variety of ways. First, the nanoparticles target cancer cells specifically, which minimizes side effects and enables controlled drug release to maintain therapeutic levels without toxicity spikes.

Next, we design these nanoparticles using biocompatible materials, such as iron oxide and chitosan coatings, which reduce immune-response reactions and make the nanoparticles more compatible with long-term use.

Cancer’s complex and variable nature means that treatments that are effective for one patient might not work for another, which makes it difficult to create one-size-fits-all solutions. But our nanoparticles support personalized medicine because we can target specific mutated genes in individual patients. Furthermore, we can develop nanoparticles that are multifunctional. For example, a single nanoparticle can have capabilities that enable both monitoring as well as treatment.

AS: The concepts of extending patients’ lives and improving their quality of life have effectively been done in parallel for years. For example, the UW has extensive history and expertise in tissue engineering. But it usually isn’t combined with cancer care because the two goals often feel contradictory: Tissue engineering results from inducing cell growth, while historically cancer therapy has directly focused on killing cells. So the fields have diverged.

But we can design novel materials to do both: One material can use different release rates to stagger the anti-cancer versus tissue-engineering effects. For example, we can use interventional radiology to implant a material directly into a tumor. The material can have an initial burst of drug release that has an anti-cancer effect. And then, after killing the tumor, the residual material can release factors that recruit normal cells to fill in the gap where the cancer was.

Alternatively, as radiologists, we can see where cancer is and isn’t. It is therefore possible to selectively deliver anti-cancer agents to the cancer, while simultaneously delivering pro-tissue engineering agents to normal tissue.

Are any of these treatments currently available in the clinic?

MZ: The process of getting a treatment like this approved is complex and resource-intensive, because it requires extensive research, clinical trials and regulatory approvals. To reduce clinical trial costs, our nanoparticle platform is adaptable for multiple genetic therapies, which offers regulatory advantages and paves the way for FDA approval.

Right now, our nanoparticles are still at the basic research stage and have not yet entered clinical trials. They have, however, demonstrated their efficacy in various pre-clinical animal models. We are now prepared to engage with venture capitalists and major pharmaceutical companies to advance our nanoparticles into clinical trials.

AS: Our research is also still in the basic stage for the moment. We need to determine the best type of material and safest way to deliver it into patients through rigorous pre-clinical testing.

That being said, at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center and UW Medicine, we are leading an intratumoral therapy group that is ramping up clinical trials for patients using therapies that are in development around the country. In addition, we are working on bringing on more minimally invasive tissue engineering trials to the clinic soon.

What part of this collaboration is the most exciting to you?

AS: I was fortunate to meet Miqin during my interview at UW, and we struck up a vibrant conversation. Miqin has been a leader in the fields of biomaterials and drug delivery, and she is an ideal mentor to help me with my goal of bringing these advances to the clinic.

MZ: I have more than 15 years of experience in cancer research, and I strongly believe that interventional radiology is transforming cancer care by offering minimally invasive, precise treatment options that reduce side effects and improve patient outcomes. I am thrilled to collaborate with Avik so that we can apply our advanced materials and his innovative approaches to enhance interventional radiology for cancer treatment and tissue growth in a way that minimizes side effects and improves patients’ quality of life.

Zhang’s research is funded by the Kuni Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Zhang is also a faculty researcher with the UW Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems and the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute. Som’s research has been funded by the Radiologic Society of North America and the National Institutes of Health.

For more information, contact Zhang at mzhang@uw.edu and Som at aviksom@uw.edu.

The vast majority of earthquakes strike inside the Ring of Fire, a string of volcanoes and tectonic activity that wraps around the coastlines of the Pacific Ocean. But when an earthquake hits, the areas that experience the strongest shaking aren’t always the places that suffer the greatest damage.

Take the massive Chi-Chi earthquake, which caused extensive damage in Taiwan in the fall of 1999 and killed more than 2,400 people. The distribution of damage followed an uneven pattern: Deaths caused by the earthquake were concentrated not in densely populated city centers, but in those cities’ suburbs and outer fringes. A similar pattern has occurred following earthquakes in China, Chile and Nepal.

More than two decades later, researchers at the University of Washington have identified a hidden factor behind what they call ‘suburban syndrome’ — migration. Workers from small, rural communities often move into the outer edges of cities, which offer greater economic opportunities but often have low-quality housing that is likely to suffer greater damage during an earthquake. The risk grows even more when migrants come from low-income or tribal villages.

The findings, published in December in the journal Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, suggest that emergency management organizations should pay greater attention to migration and housing quality when developing disaster mitigation and response plans.

UW News spoke with lead author Tzu-Hsin Karen Chen, an assistant professor of environmental & occupational health sciences and of urban planning, to discuss ‘suburban syndrome,’ how migration can amplify disparities in a disaster’s impact, and what U.S. officials can learn from a Taiwanese disaster.

Your work on this study builds on an existing model that assesses earthquake risk by considering migration patterns and the movement of vulnerable populations. What does the existing model miss, and why is it important to fill those gaps?  

Tzu-Hsin Karen Chen: This risk-assessment model has been used by many organizations internationally and in the United States. For example, FEMA uses a similar risk model to assess populations exposed to hazards, vulnerabilities and potential disaster impacts. They typically do a comprehensive risk assessment geographically within states and counties, identify areas with potential larger impacts, and then draft a preparedness plan.

In United States, temporary domestic migrants and undocumented immigrants don’t always officially register in government systems. One common reason is the fear of deportation or other legal repercussions. And so, when a government agency like FEMA allocates resources for disaster preparedness or recovery, relying on registered population data can lead to an underestimate of the support required in certain areas.

In Taiwan, our study case, many migrant workers moving from rural to urban areas don’t update their registered residence. They still have their registration back in their hometown, like in a tribal area. It just doesn’t make sense to re-register, because they might have multiple jobs within a single year in different places. To minimize expenses, some workers look for the lowest possible rent, and their rental housing might not be officially registered either. Those could be informal housing structures, like a metal floor added on top of a concrete building, which don’t comply with safety regulations. The informality of this process can help lower their cost of living, but can also leave them more vulnerable to disasters.

How did you get started in this research? 

TKC: I’ll share my personal story, but I also want to acknowledge my co-authors for their years of work in risk assessments. For me, it started back in 2010, when I volunteered in a tribal area of Taiwan teaching computer skills. This provided bigger lessons for me than anything I could’ve taught them. I learned how teenagers often move from their tribal areas downhill to nearby cities to take construction jobs during the off-crop seasons. Those jobs pay more than farm work, but they’re also very physically demanding and often lack worker protections like job security and health insurance. Seeing that put a seed in my mind. 

When I was a master’s student, a team from the National Earthquake Center and Academia Sinica in Taiwan was working on a risk assessment of the Chi-Chi earthquake using the exposure, vulnerability and hazard framework. They had already published a fundamental risk assessment, and reached out to me to develop an extended study by incorporating spatial statistics. That collaboration eventually evolved into the study in this paper. 

The COVID-19 pandemic also shaped this study. I came across news about how migrant workers were stuck in urban fringe areas of India. Because of the lockdown, they weren’t able to continue their work, and their crowded living conditions left them at even greater risk during the pandemic. I started to wonder: How can we shift from a pure statistical model to something more meaningful? How can we bring migration into the center of the discussion? 

The final push came from colleagues’ work at the UW. I’ve noticed initiatives for undocumented students and research efforts around environmental justice and health equity. For example, my co-author Diana Ceballos’s research on migrant worker’s health was particularly motivating. We read and wrote back and forth to refine the framing and discussion in this paper.  

How did you incorporate migration data into a larger earthquake-risk model, and what did you find?

TKC: At the time of the Chi-Chi earthquake in the late 1990s, we didn’t have any detailed migration data. Today, new research uses mobile phone signals to track people, but such data wasn’t available back then. So we adapted the radiation model — a model widely used to predict human migration — to estimate migration flow and used it as a new way to estimate migrants from low-income and tribal areas. This provided new variables to incorporate into the large risk model. 

Most of our findings are supportive of previous studies, where we can see, logically, if there’s stronger ground movement, there are likely to be more fatalities. That’s a very straightforward way of thinking of how disasters can happen. However, it’s not just a physical story. We also confirm that in areas where incomes are lower, there are more fatalities. Income is a known risk factor in the vulnerability theory. What’s unique in this study is that we tested whether an increase in migration flows leads to an increase in fatalities, and we found that to be true. 

Tell me about the migration model. What is it estimating? 

TKC: We applied the radiation model and adapted it to measure different migration populations. The fundamental idea of the radiation model comes from a simple model called the gravity model. In this context, gravity refers to the idea that larger populations have a stronger “pull” on people in nearby communities. The model assumes that, for a place, the number of people who want to migrate to nearby cities depends on the population size of those cities. Larger cities tend to attract more people.  

If the distance is too far, then it costs too much to travel, so the model will predict fewer migrants. But if the city is closer, or even far away but has a very large population, it becomes a more attractive destination, leading to greater migration flow.  

The radiation model builds on these principles and adds another layer. It considers competitors along the way. In other words, migration flow may also be influenced by other cities or opportunities that lie between the starting point and the destination. 

At first glance, it seems obvious that greater migration would lead to higher fatalities in a given area, just because there are more people present when disaster strikes. Is that the primary driver, or are there other factors at play?  

TKC: Logically, if there are more people, and the percentage of fatalities is equal, then there should be more people dying from a specific event. But we found it’s not just about population numbers. There are two additional factors: When migrant workers are from areas with lower incomes, or when they are from tribal areas, those factors significantly contribute to higher fatalities in the places they migrate to. 

Our hypothesis is that it’s about housing safety. Migrant workers tend to move to cities, and when cities are more expensive, affluent workers might be able to secure housing that offers better protection against disasters. However, workers from tribal or low-income areas tend to settle in urban fringe zones where affordable housing options might not meet safety standards, making them more vulnerable to earthquakes.

Why did you choose to study this earthquake from 1999 in particular?  

TKC: The research team that invited me to work on this project was interested in the Chi-Chi earthquake, partly because it was one of the most disastrous in Taiwan’s history. And even 20 years later, there’s still a conference focused on the Chi-Chi earthquake that brings domestic and international researchers to talk about it.

How widely applicable are your findings? Could they help us better understand hazards in other earthquake-prone areas of the world, like, say, the Pacific Northwest?  

TKC: It’s important to consider this risk assessment as a tool for preparedness for future hazards. When the next earthquake occurs, migrant communities will likely face elevated impacts if housing safety policies do not improve.

I believe the migration component is universally important, even outside Taiwan. There has always been a paradox, a structural dilemma of disaster governance: Because migrants are often invisible, they suffer from little support. But making them visible can sometimes lead to exclusion and discrimination. This model represents migrants in a geographic sense rather than identifying every person individually through government surveillance, which could address this challenge. By protecting anonymity while still accounting for migrant populations, the model might help ensure their needs are considered in housing safety and resource allocation.

Co-authors on this study include Diana Ceballos of the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences; Kuan-Hui Elaine Lin of National Taiwan Normal University, Thung-Hong Lin of Academia Sinica in Taiwan; and Gee-Yu Liu and Chin-Hsun Yeh of the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in Taiwan.

For more information, contact Chen at kthchen@uw.edu.

DALLAS, September 15, 2025 — Nearly half of U.S. adults — 122.4 million people — are living with high blood pressure (BP), a leading preventable risk factor for heart disease, stroke and premature death, according to the 2025 American Heart Association Statistical Update. Yet just a quarter of them have their BP under control, making both diagnosis and effective management critical.

The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, and American Medical Association (AMA) are recognizing 2,307 health care organizations — 495 more than in 2024 —  for tackling this public health challenge through the Target: BP™ initiative.

Target: BP™ is a national initiative launched in 2015 by the American Heart Association and AMA in response to the high prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure. Together, the associations:

• leverage American Heart Association science and the evidence-based AMA MAP™ framework to help care teams organize their approach to providing evidence-based care;
• assist and support health care organizations to improve and sustain BP control with professional education, practice tools and resources, including support through the associations’ quality improvement programs; and
• recognize organizations annually with achievement awards celebrating commitment to improvement, adoption of evidence-based BP care and achieving BP control rates of 70% or greater among their patients.

This year’s participating organizations span 49 states or U.S. territories and serve more than 38 million patients, including nearly 10.6 million people with hypertension. More than 40% of participating organizations are nonprofit health centers that receive federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration to reach medically underserved populations.

Among those organizations recognized for their efforts, nearly 60% received Gold or Gold+ award level recognition for achieving BP control rates of greater than or equal to 70%. Approximately 37% of awardees achieved Silver or Silver+ recognition for adopting evidence-based activities. The remainder received Participation-level recognition for submitting data for the first time and committing to reducing the number of adult patients with uncontrolled BP.

“Hypertension is called the ‘silent killer’ for a reason — too often it goes unnoticed until serious damage is done, and it accounts for nearly $50 billion in annual health care costs in the U.S.,” said Stacey Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and senior vice president of women’s health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health of Northwell Health in New York City. “Through programs like Target: BP, we’re seeing how health care organizations and care teams can work to close gaps in blood pressure control through patient awareness and education and improve overall well-being.”

Since the American Heart Association and AMA launched Target: BP™, more than 4,900 health care organizations have joined the nationwide movement to make heart health a priority. For the past five years, approximately 80% of participating organizations have continued their engagement year after year — reflecting a continuous commitment to improving BP and sharing a common goal to improve health outcomes associated with heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the U.S.

“We know hypertension control is possible when physicians, care teams and patients work together,” said AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, M.D. “The Target: BP program provides physicians and care teams with the tools they need to effectively partner with patients and ensure all Americans have access to quality care, to manage their blood pressure.”

Learn more at TargetBP.org.

Additional Resources: 

• Multimedia is available on the right column of release link.
• American Heart Association Outpace CVD™
• New high blood pressure guideline emphasizes prevention, early treatment to reduce CVD risk | American Heart Association

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

About the American Medical Association

The American Medical Association is the physician’s powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises, and driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care. For more information, visit ama-assn.org.

For Media Inquiries:

American Heart Association: Michelle Rosenfeld: michelle.rosenfeld@heart.org

American Medical Association: Kelly Jakubek: kelly.jakubek@ama-assn.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

Puntos destacados de la investigación:

• Solo 1 de cada 7 imágenes de archivo en línea sobre el monitoreo de la presión arterial coincidía con los procedimientos recomendados por las directrices clínicas.
• Las imágenes de archivo en línea que mostraban el monitoreo de la presión arterial en el hogar eran aproximadamente tres veces más precisas que las imágenes que mostraban el monitoreo de la presión arterial en un consultorio médico, un centro de cuidados de salud o un hospital.
• Este estudio se encuentra entre los primeros estudios en los que se revisan imágenes en línea de personas a las que se les mide la presión arterial en los principales sitios web de fotos de archivo.

Prohibida su divulgación hasta las 2 p. m. CT/3 p. m. ET del lunes 8 de septiembre del 2025

DALLAS, 8 de septiembre del 2025 — Según una nueva investigación publicada hoy en Hypertension (sitio web en inglés), una revista médica de la American Heart Association, solo 1 de cada 7 imágenes de archivo en línea sobre el monitoreo de la presión arterial muestra de forma correcta cómo se debe medir la presión arterial, lo que implica lecturas posiblemente inexactas en casa y en los consultorios médicos, los centros de cuidados de salud o los hospitales.

El estudio es uno de los primeros estudios en los que se evalúa sistemáticamente la precisión de las imágenes en línea que representan mediciones de la presión arterial en los principales sitios web de fotos de archivo con base en el Consenso Internacional sobre la Medición Estandarizada de la Presión Arterial en Clínicas del 2023 (sitio web en inglés).

“Esperábamos que alrededor del 50% de las imágenes fueran precisas; sin embargo, nuestros hallazgos fueron peores de lo esperado”, afirmó la autora principal, Alta Schutte, Ph.D., profesora de medicina cardiovascular en la Universidad de Nueva Gales del Sur en Sídney y codirectora del programa cardiovascular en The George Institute for Global Health en Australia. “Debido a que las personas tienden a recordar mejor las imágenes que las palabras, un fenómeno conocido como efecto de superioridad de la imagen, las imágenes inexactas podrían tener graves consecuencias para la salud pública”.

Según la American Heart Association, casi la mitad de los adultos en los Estados Unidos padecen presión arterial alta. (Del 2017 al 2020, 122.4 millones de adultos en los Estados Unidos, o un 46.7%, padecían presión arterial alta; fuente: Estadísticas sobre enfermedades cardíacas y derrames cerebrales [ataques cerebrales] del 2025 de la American Heart Association [sitio web en inglés).

“Cada vez más personas se toman la presión arterial en casa. Sin embargo, debido a la inexactitud de las imágenes que se muestran en Internet, incluso en sitios web de prestigio, es muy probable que las personas que buscan información sobre la presión arterial en Internet vean estas imágenes y usen una técnica incorrecta en casa. Si esto ocurre, las personas obtendrán lecturas de presión arterial demasiado altas o demasiado bajas, lo que puede llevar a conclusiones erróneas sobre la presión arterial y, posiblemente, a un tratamiento excesivo o insuficiente cuando compartan estas mediciones con el equipo de cuidados de salud”, afirmó Schutte.

El análisis reveló lo siguiente:

• Solo el 14% de las más de 1,000 imágenes que mostraban a adultos sometiéndose a una medición de la presión arterial eran precisa
• Entre las desviaciones de las directrices clínicas que implicaban la inexactitud de las fotos se incluían las siguientes:
  • la espalda de la persona no estaba apoyada (73%);
  • el antebrazo no estaba apoyado sobre una superficie plana o una mesa (55%);
  • aparecía un dispositivo manual de bombeo en lugar de un dispositivo electrónico o que funciona con baterías en la parte superior del brazo (52%);
  • los pies no estaban apoyados en el suelo (36%);
  • el profesional de la salud (23%) y el paciente (18%) hablaban mientras se realizaba la medición;
  • la parte media del brazo no estaba a la altura del corazón (19%);
  • las personas tenían las piernas cruzadas (13%);
  • el paciente no estaba sentado (5%); y
  • el manguito de presión arterial estaba sobre la ropa (12%) y no sobre el brazo desnudo.
• El 25% de las imágenes que mostraban la automedición de la presión arterial en casa eran precisas, en comparación con solo el 8% de las imágenes que mostraban la medición de la presión arterial en el consultorio de un médico, un centro de cuidados de salud o un hospital.
• Las imágenes que mostraban mediciones de la presión arterial realizadas por el propio paciente u otra persona tenían 6 veces más probabilidades de mostrar técnicas precisas en comparación con las imágenes que mostraban a un profesional de la salud midiendo la presión arterial.

“Se han realizado muchos estudios interesantes sobre los errores en la medición de la presión arterial y el efecto de dichos errores en la presión arterial; por ejemplo, en el caso de que el manguito en la parte superior del brazo no se mantenga a la altura del corazón. Esta es la primera evaluación de imágenes de medición de la presión arterial disponibles públicamente que destaca el problema de las imágenes inexactas”, señaló Schutte.

“Es importante que las personas comprendan cómo medir correctamente su presión arterial. Las lecturas inexactas en las clínicas también son un problema muy común. Queremos que todas las personas conozcan cómo los profesionales de la salud deben tomar la presión arterial para que puedan identificar cualquier error en caso de que no se siga correctamente el procedimiento”, afirmó.

El presidente del comité de redacción de las directrices sobre presión arterial alta para el 2025 de la American Heart Association, publicadas el mes pasado, Daniel Jones, M.D., FAHA, expresó: “En este estudio, se destaca la importancia de usar imágenes precisas a fin de demostrar la técnica adecuada para medir la presión arterial. Se recomienda a los pacientes que se midan la presión arterial en casa con el fin de ayudar a confirmar el diagnóstico de presión arterial alta realizado en la consulta y para monitorear, realizar un seguimiento de la evolución y adaptar la atención como parte de un plan de atención integral”. Jones, que no participó en este estudio, también fue presidente voluntario de la American Heart Association (entre el 2007 y 2008) y, actualmente, es decano y profesor emérito de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Misisipi.

La American Heart Association cuenta con recursos (sitio web en inglés) para ayudar a las personas a aprender las técnicas adecuadas para medir la presión arterial.

El estudio tiene varias limitaciones. Algunas imágenes estaban incompletas; por ejemplo, menos de una cuarta parte de ellas mostraban si la persona tenía los pies cruzados o apoyados en el suelo. Si estos detalles estuvieran claros, podrían afectar los niveles de precisión. Aunque las fotos incluidas no se penalizaron en función de características que no eran evaluables visualmente, los hallazgos pueden verse afectados. Además, es probable que las imágenes de archivo que se usaron en este estudio no se crearan de conformidad con las Directrices del Consenso Internacional. Por lo tanto, es probable que los errores encontrados no se deban a una interpretación errónea intencionada de la técnica adecuada, pero estas son las imágenes que los medios de comunicación y los desarrolladores de sitios web suelen usar.

Antecedentes y detalles del estudio:

• En el análisis, se usó una búsqueda en Google realizada el 22 de julio del 2024 para identificar una lista completa de 11 sitios principales de fotos de archivo en línea (123rf, Adobe Stock, Alamy, Bigstockphoto, Dreamstime, Flickr, Freepik, Getty Images, iStock, Pikwizard y Shutterstock).

• Se descargaron las primeras 100 fotos de cada sitio de fotos de archivo en línea para su posterior selección. Se excluyeron los sitios de fotos de archivo con más del 10% de imágenes duplicadas. También se excluyeron las imágenes de dibujos animados o ficticias, las imágenes generadas por inteligencia artificial (IA) y las fotos sin personas.

• De las 121,000 imágenes, 1,106 fotos se identificaban con el término de búsqueda “control de la presión arterial” en adultos y dos revisores las analizaron. En general, alrededor del 63% de las imágenes mostraban el consultorio de un médico o un hospital, mientras que alrededor del 37% mostraban el monitoreo de la presión arterial en el hogar.

• El 72.8% de las fotos mostraba a un profesional de la salud realizando la medición de la presión arterial, el 24.5% mostraba a un paciente realizando la medición y el 2.7% mostraba a otras personas realizando esta acción.

• Los conflictos (desacuerdos entre los revisores) sobre cada imagen en línea se resolvieron en dos etapas. En primer lugar, dos revisores examinaron de forma independiente las fotos de archivo y, a continuación, se reunieron en grupo para analizar los criterios de selección y determinar si la imagen representaba con precisión las técnicas correctas de medición de la presión arterial. Se comprobó la precisión de las mediciones de la presión arterial representadas en las imágenes en función de los siguientes criterios: si el paciente o la persona que realizaba la medición estaba hablando o riendo; la posición del paciente: sentado, con todo el antebrazo apoyado en la mesa, la parte media del brazo a la altura del corazón, la espalda apoyada en una silla, las piernas sin cruzar y los pies apoyados en el suelo; el tipo de dispositivo de medición de la presión arterial: un dispositivo electrónico para la parte superior del brazo en lugar de un dispositivo manual; y el manguito de presión arterial: puesto sobre el brazo desnudo.

“Observamos fotos con técnicas incorrectas en los sitios web de importantes organizaciones de salud y universidades. Instamos a estas organizaciones, medios de comunicación, creadores de fotos de archivo, desarrolladores web, periodistas médicos e investigadores a que revisen más detenidamente sus imágenes en línea. Deben verificar que todas las imágenes muestren cómo medir la presión arterial con precisión y representen las técnicas adecuadas para reducir la probabilidad de lecturas incorrectas de la presión arterial en casa y en entornos clínicos”, mencionó Schutte.

Los coautores, las divulgaciones y las fuentes de financiamiento se indican en el artículo.

Los estudios publicados en las revistas médicas científicas de la American Heart Association son revisados por expertos. Las afirmaciones y conclusiones en cada artículo son solo aquellas de los autores del estudio y no reflejan necesariamente la política ni la posición de la Asociación. La Asociación no ofrece representación ni garantía de ningún tipo de su exactitud o confiabilidad. La Asociación recibe más de un 85% de sus ingresos de fuentes distintas a las empresas. Estas fuentes incluyen contribuciones de personas particulares, fundaciones y patrimonios, así como ganancias por inversiones e ingresos por la venta de nuestros materiales informativos. Las empresas (incluidas las farmacéuticas, los fabricantes de dispositivos y otras compañías) también realizan donaciones a la Asociación. La Asociación tiene políticas estrictas para evitar que las donaciones influyan en el contenido científico y en las posturas de sus políticas. La información financiera general está disponible aquí (sitio web en inglés).

Recursos adicionales:

• Fotos disponibles en la columna derecha del enlace del comunicado.
• Comunicado de prensa en inglés
• Después del 8 de septiembre del 2025, consulta el artículo (sitio web en inglés) en línea.
• Comunicado de prensa de la American Heart Association: La nueva pauta sobre la presión arterial alta enfatiza la prevención y el tratamiento temprano para reducir el riesgo de ECV (agosto del 2025) (sitio web en inglés).
• Comunicado de prensa de la American Heart Association: Es posible que los manguitos de monitoreo de la presión arterial en casa más populares no se ajusten a algunos adultos estadounidenses (septiembre del 2024) (sitio web en inglés).
• Declaraciones de políticas de la American Heart Association: Automedición de la presión arterial en casa: una declaración conjunta de las políticas de la American Heart Association y la American Medical Association (junio del 2020) (sitio web en inglés).
• Información de salud de la American Heart Association: Presión arterial alta (sitio web en inglés).
• Información de salud de la American Heart Association: Video sobre el monitoreo de la presión arterial en casa (sitio web en inglés).
• Sigue las noticias de la AHA/ASA en X @HeartNews.
• Sigue las noticias de la revista médica Hypertension de la AHA @HyperAHA (sitio web en inglés).

###

Acerca de la American Heart Association

La American Heart Association es una fuerza incansable para un mundo de vidas más largas y saludables. La organización ha sido una fuente líder de información sobre salud durante más de cien años y su objetivo es garantizar la equidad en la salud en todas las comunidades. Con el apoyo de más de 35 millones de voluntarios en todo el mundo, financiamos investigaciones vanguardistas, defendemos la salud pública y proporcionamos recursos fundamentales para salvar y mejorar vidas afectadas por enfermedades cardiovasculares y ataques o derrames cerebrales. Trabajamos incansablemente para hacer avanzar la salud y transformar vidas cada día mediante el impulso de avances y la implementación de soluciones comprobadas en las áreas de ciencia, políticas y cuidados. Comunícate con nosotros en heart.org (sitio web en inglés), Facebook, X o llama al 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Para consultas de los medios de comunicación o el punto de vista experto de la AHA/ASA:214-706-1173

Karen Astle: Karen.Astle@heart.org

Para consultas públicas: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org (sitio web en inglés) y derramecerebral.org

Research Highlights:

• Only 1 in 7 online stock images of blood pressure monitoring aligned with the procedures recommended by clinical guidelines.
• Online stock images depicting blood pressure monitoring in the home were approximately three times more accurate than images depicting blood pressure monitoring in a physician’s office, health care facility or hospital.
• This study is among the first to review online images of people having their blood pressure measured from major stock photo websites.

Embargoed until 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET Monday, September 8, 2025

DALLAS, September 8, 2025 — Only 1 in 7 online stock photo images of blood pressure monitoring correctly show how blood pressure should be measured, contributing to potentially inaccurate readings at home and in physicians’ offices, health care facilities or hospitals, according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

The study is one of the first to systematically evaluate the accuracy of online images depicting blood pressure measurements on major stock photo websites based on the 2023 International Consensus on Standardized Clinic Blood Pressure Measurement.

“We expected that about 50% of images would be accurate, however, our findings were worse than expected,” said lead author Alta Schutte, Ph.D., a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of New South Wales Sydney, and co-lead of the cardiovascular program at The George Institute for Global Health in Australia. “Because people tend to remember images better than words — a phenomenon known as the picture-superiority effect — inaccurate visuals could have serious public health consequences.”

Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. (From 2017 to 2020, 122.4 million adults in the U.S., or 46.7%, had high blood pressure; source: American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics)

”More people are checking their blood pressure at home. But because of the inaccurate depictions online – even on reputable websites – it is very likely that people who look for information on the internet about blood pressure will see these images and may use the incorrect technique at home. If this happens, people will get blood pressure readings that are either too high or too low, which can lead to wrong conclusions about their blood pressure and possibly too much or too little treatment when these blood pressure measures are shared with their health care team,” Schutte said.

The analysis found:

• Only 14% of more than 1,000 images depicting adults having their blood pressure measured were accurate.
• Deviations from clinical guidelines that contributed to photo inaccuracy included:
  • the individual’s back was not supported (73%);
  • the whole forearm was not resting on a flat surface or table (55%);
  • using a manual self-pumping device instead of an electronic or battery-operated upper-arm device (52%);
  • feet were dangling rather than flat on the floor (36%);
  • the health care professional (23%) and patient (18%) were talking while taking the measurement;
  • mid-arm was not at heart level (19%);
  • people had their legs crossed (13%);
  • the patient was not sitting (5%); and
  • the blood pressure cuff was placed over clothing (12%) rather than the bare arm.
• 25% of images showing self-measurement of blood pressure at home were accurate compared to only 8% of images depicting blood pressure measurements in a physician’s office, health care facility or hospital.
• Images depicting blood pressure measurements taken by the patient themselves or another person were 6 times more likely to show accurate techniques compared to images showing blood pressure measured by a health care professional.

“There have been many interesting studies about errors in blood pressure measurement and the blood pressure effect of such errors, for example, if the cuff on the upper arm is not held at heart level. This is the first evaluation of publicly available images of blood pressure measurement to highlight the problem with inaccurate images,” Schutte said.

“It is important for people to understand how to measure their blood pressure correctly. Inaccurate readings in clinics are also a very common problem. We want everyone to know how health care professionals should take blood pressure measurements so they can identify any mistakes if the procedure is not followed correctly,” she said.

Chair of the American Heart Association’s 2025 high blood pressure guideline writing committee released last month, Daniel Jones, M.D., FAHA, said, “This study highlights the importance of using accurate images to demonstrate the proper technique for measuring blood pressure. Home blood pressure monitoring is recommended for patients to help confirm an office diagnosis of high blood pressure and to monitor, track progress and tailor care as part of an integrated care plan.” Jones, who was not involved in this study, is also a past volunteer president of the American Heart Association (2007-2008) and currently dean and professor emeritus of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.

The American Heart Association has resources to help people learn proper blood pressure measurement techniques.

The study has several limitations. Some images were incomplete; for instance, less than a quarter of them showed whether the person had their feet crossed or flat on the floor. If these details were clear, it might affect accuracy levels. Although the included photos were not penalized based on features that were not visually assessable, the findings may be affected. Additionally, the stock images used in this study were probably not created with the International Consensus Guidelines in mind. So, any errors found likely do not stem from an intentional misrepresentation of proper technique, yet these are the images that are typically used by the media and website developers.

Study background and details:

• The analysis used a Google search conducted on July 22, 2024, to identify a comprehensive list of 11 major online stock photo sites (123rf, Adobe Stock, Alamy, Bigstockphoto, Dreamstime, Flickr, Freepik, Getty Images, iStock, Pikwizard and Shutterstock).

• The first 100 photos from each online stock photo site were downloaded for further screening. Stock photo sites with more than 10% duplicate images were excluded. Cartoon or fictional images, AI-generated images or photos without people were also excluded.

• Of 121,000 images, 1,106 photos identified with the search term “blood pressure check” in adults were each reviewed by two reviewers. Overall, about 63% of the images were in a physician’s office or hospital, while about 37% showed home blood pressure monitoring in a home setting.

• Blood pressure measurements were performed by a health care professional in 72.8% of the photos, 24.5% were done by the patient and 2.7% were taken by other people.

• Conflicts (reviewers not agreeing) of each online image were resolved in two stages. First, two reviewers independently examined the stock photos, then met as a group to discuss the screening criteria and determine if the image accurately depicted correct blood pressure measuring techniques. Blood pressure measurements depicted in the images were checked for accuracy based on: whether the patient or the person taking the measurement was talking or laughing; the patient’s position: sitting, whether their whole forearm was resting on the table, mid-arm at heart level, back supported by a chair, legs uncrossed, and feet flat on the floor; the type of blood pressure measurement device: an electronic upper-arm device instead of a manual device; and the blood pressure cuff: placed on a bare arm.

“We have noted photos with wrong techniques on the websites of major health organizations and universities. We urge these organizations, media outlets, stock photo creators, web developers, medical journalists, and researchers to take a closer look at their online images. They should check that all images show how to measure blood pressure accurately and represent the proper techniques to reduce the likelihood of incorrect blood pressure readings at home and in clinical settings,” Schutte said.

Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the manuscript.

Studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of release link.
• Spanish news release
• After September 8, 2025, view the manuscript online.
• American Heart Association news release: New high blood pressure guideline emphasizes prevention, early treatment to reduce CVD risk (Aug. 2025)
• American Heart Association news release: Popular home blood pressure monitoring cuff devices may not fit some US adults (Sept. 2024)
• American Heart Association policy statement: Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring at Home: A Joint Policy Statement From the American Heart Association and American Medical Association (June 2020)
• American Heart Association health information: High Blood Pressure
• American Heart Association health information: Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Video
• Follow AHA/ASA news on X @HeartNews
• Follow news from AHA’s Hypertension journal @HyperAHA

###

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and AHA/ASA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173

Karen Astle: Karen.Astle@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

Research Highlights:

• Use of an AI voice agent to prompt self-reported blood pressure readings helped to improve accuracy of blood pressure measures and patient outcomes in a group of majority ages 65 and older patients with high blood pressure.
• The study’s findings demonstrate how integrating AI into care can help to improve home blood pressure monitoring and completion rates, which can lead to improved quality outcomes for patients.
• Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Embargoed until 10:00 a.m., ET/9:00 a.m. CT, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025

BALTIMORE, Sept.7, 2025 — Artificial intelligence (AI) voice agents helped older adults with high blood pressure to accurately report their blood pressure readings and improved blood pressure management, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting is in Baltimore, September 4-7, 2025, and is the premier scientific exchange focused on recent advances in basic and clinical research on high blood pressure and its relationship to cardiac and kidney disease, stroke, obesity and genetics.

“Controlling blood pressure remains a cornerstone for improving cardiovascular outcomes for patients, however, capturing timely, compliant blood pressure readings remains a challenge, particularly for patients with limited access to care,” said lead study author Tina-Ann Kerr Thompson, M.D., senior vice president of the primary care service line and executive director of the population health collaborative at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. “In our study, we were able to improve accuracy of blood pressure measures and patient outcomes.”

AI voice agents are conversational systems powered by large language models that can understand and produce natural speech in real time when interacting with humans. This study included 2,000 adults, a majority ages 65 and older, and was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and scalability of a voice-enabled AI agent in engaging patients to self-report accurate blood pressure readings, in place of a phone call with a health care professional about their blood pressure measures. The AI agent also identified patients in need of follow-up medical care based on their blood pressure readings.

The AI voice-agent calls to patients were made using commercially available AI in multiple languages, including English and Spanish. A blood pressure reading outside the threshold range for readings that vary based on the presence of other conditions, such as diabetes, resulted in the call being escalated to a licensed nurse or medical assistant. The presence of symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision or chest pain also prompted escalation of the call. Escalation to additional care was immediate in urgent situations or within 24 hours for non-urgent issues.  

The patients were contacted by the voice agent to provide recent blood pressure readings or to conduct live measurements during the call. After the call, the readings were entered into the patient’s electronic health record and reviewed by a clinician. Call routing and referrals for care management were prompted for patients with difficult-to-control high blood pressure. This process reduced the manual workload by clinicians and resulted in an 88.7% lower cost-per-reading. This amount was calculated by comparing the cost of commercially available AI voice agents with the use of human nurses to perform similar tasks that result in successfully obtaining patient self-reported blood pressure readings.

The study found that integrating AI into clinical workflows lowered costs and improved care management for patients. During the study period:

• 85% of patients were successfully reached by the voice-based AI agent.
• Of those patients, 67% completed the call, and 60% took a compliant blood pressure reading during the call. Among these patients, 68% met CBP (controlling blood pressure) Stars compliance thresholds.
• Overall, 1,939 CBP gaps were closed, elevating the measure from 1-Star to 4-Star performance—a 17% improvement. The Medicare Advantage (MA) and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) CBP measure increased from a previously reported 1-star rating to 4-star rating.
• At the end of each completed call, patients received a two-question survey to rate their satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being 100% satisfied. Among the completed calls, the average patient-reported satisfaction rate exceeded 9 out of 10, reflecting an excellent overall experience with the voice-based AI agent.

“We were surprised by the high patient satisfaction scores after interacting with artificial intelligence-based voice agents,” said Thompson. “We are excited for what that means for the future, since patient engagement and satisfaction are so critical to health care outcomes.”

“This could be a game-changing study,” said Eugene Yang, M.D., M.S., FACC, an American Heart Association volunteer expert. “Accurate blood pressure readings are essential to improving control, and new approaches can help make that possible. Breakthrough AI technologies like this could transform how we manage blood pressure by reaching patients wherever they are and addressing critical barriers, such as limited access to care and gaps in patient support.” Yang, who was not involved in this study, is a professor in the division of cardiology and the Carl and Renée Behnke Endowed Chair for Asian Health at University of Washington School of Medicine.

The study has several limitations. This study was observational and did not have a control group. The consecutive AI calls were not compared to human calls; instead, AI voice-calls were deployed because it was not possible to make an adequate number of human-only calls. In addition, the study was retrospective, meaning it reviewed existing data, and evaluation was completed after the clinically identified calls were already made.

Study details, background and design:

• Participants included 2,000 adults; a majority were ages 65 or older (average age of 72 years; 61% women) receiving care for high blood pressure.
• Review of electronic health records identified patients who were missing blood pressure data or whose most recent BP reading was not within the normal range of <120/80 mm Hg. Patients with these gaps in data were tagged to receive calls from the AI voice agent.
• The study was conducted with patients at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta during a 10-week period. Patients received at least one phone call during the study. Patients received more than one call if they did not answer the phone.
• Patients with open gaps in managing blood pressure were identified through electronic medical records (EMR) and payer analytics. Patient lists were reviewed to ensure the information in their records was correct, and they were verified for outreach by a clinical operations team to ensure real-time accuracy of gaps before outreach to the patients.
• AI texts, phone calls from the conventional care team, recent clinical visits where documentation could be found for a blood pressure reading and generative AI voice agents were used to contact patients to provide recent blood pressure readings or take their blood pressure reading during the call. These included any recent clinical visits where documentation could be found for a BP recorded. 
• A post-call validation step was integrated into the workflow, in which readings were entered into the EHR, reviewed by a clinician and submitted as supplemental data to close the Stars quality gap. For patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure, clinical escalation referrals were made to care management teams.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the Star Ratings system, known as MA Stars, to rate Medicare Advantage (MA) (Part C) and prescription drug (Part D) plans on a 5-star scale with 1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest score. MA plans are plans from private insurance companies approved by Medicare and not issued by Medicare itself. Hospitals, care centers and clinicians are eligible to receive a bonus payment increase if they achieve at least a 4-star rating.

Self-measured blood pressure is a focus area of Target:BP, an American Heart Association initiative that helps health care organizations improve blood pressure control rates through an evidence-based program. Home blood pressure monitoring is recommended for all adults with any level of high blood pressure, as noted in the Association’s new 2025 guideline on high blood pressure, released last month.

Note: Oral presentation #107 is at 10:00 a.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.

Co-authors, their disclosures and funding sources are listed in the abstract.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Available multimedia is on right column of the release link.
• American Heart Association news release: Urgent need to develop best practices to advance use of AI in cardiovascular care (February 2024
• American Heart Association news release: New high blood pressure guideline emphasizes prevention, early treatment to reduce CVD risk (August 2025)
• American Heart Association health information: What is High Blood Pressure?
• American Heart Association health information: How to Accurately Measure Blood Pressure at Home
• American Heart Association health information: The Facts About High Blood Pressure
• Follow AHA/ASA news from the meeting on X @HeartNews #Hypertension25

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The American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025 is a premier scientific conference dedicated to recent advancements in both basic and clinical research related to high blood pressure and its connections to cardiac and kidney diseases, stroke, obesity and genetics. The primary aim of the meeting is to bring together interdisciplinary researchers from around the globe and facilitate engagement with leading experts in the field of hypertension. Attendees will have the opportunity to discover the latest research findings and build lasting relationships with researchers and clinicians across various disciplines and career stages. Follow the conference on X using the hashtag #Hypertension25.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and AHA Expert Perspective:

AHA Communications & Media Relations in Dallas: 214-706-1173; ahacommunications@heart.org

Michelle Kirkwood: Michelle.Kirkwood@heart.org  

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

Research Highlights:

• Children who had higher blood pressure at age 7 were more likely to die early from cardiovascular disease by their mid-50s. The risk was highest for children whose blood pressure measurements were in the top 10% for their age, sex and height.
• Both elevated blood pressure (90-94^th percentile) and hypertension (≥95^th percentile) were linked with about a 40% to 50% higher risk of early cardiovascular death in adulthood.
• Researchers said their findings show why it’s important to regularly check children’s blood pressure and to help them develop heart-healthy habits early that can help lower their risk of health conditions later in life.
• Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Embargoed until 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT, Sunday, Sept.7, 2025

This news release contains updated information from the researcher that was not in the abstract.

BALTIMORE, Sept. 7, 2025 — Blood pressure matters at all ages. Children with higher blood pressure at age 7 may be at an increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease by their mid-50s,  according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting is in Baltimore, September 4-7, 2025, and is the premier scientific exchange focused on recent advances in basic and clinical research on high blood pressure and its relationship to cardiac and kidney disease, stroke, obesity and genetics. The study is simultaneously published today in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“We were surprised to find that high blood pressure in childhood was linked to serious health conditions many years later. Specifically, having hypertension or elevated blood pressure as a child may increase the risk of death by 40% to 50% over the next five decades of an individual’s life,” said Alexa Freedman, Ph.D., lead author of the study and an assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine at the Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Our results highlight the importance of screening for blood pressure in childhood and focusing on strategies to promote optimal cardiovascular health beginning in childhood.”

Previous research has shown that childhood blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood, and a 2022 study found that elevated blood pressure in older children (average age of 12 years) increased the risk of cardiovascular death by middle age (average age of 46 years). The current study is the first to investigate the impact of both systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure in childhood on long-term cardiovascular death risk in a diverse group of children. Clinical practice guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend checking blood pressure at annual well-child pediatric appointments starting at age 3 years.

“The results of this study support monitoring blood pressure as an important metric of cardiovascular health in childhood,” said Bonita Falkner, M.D., FAHA, an American Heart Association volunteer expert. “Moreover, the results of this study and other older child cohort studies with potential follow-up in adulthood will contribute to a more accurate definition of abnormal blood pressure and hypertension in childhood.” Falkner, who was not involved in this study, is emeritus professor of pediatrics and medicine at Thomas Jefferson University.

The researchers used the National Death Index to follow up on the survival or cause of death as of 2016 for approximately 38,000 children who had their blood pressures taken at age 7 years as part of the Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP), the largest U.S. study to document the influence of pregnancy and post-natal factors on the health of children. Blood pressure measured in the children at age 7 years were converted to age-, sex-, and height-specific percentiles according to the American Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guidelines. The analysis accounted for demographic factors as well as for childhood body mass index, to ensure that the findings were related to childhood blood pressure itself rather than a reflection of children who were overweight or had obesity.

After follow-up through an average age of 54 years, the analysis found: 

• Children who had higher blood pressure (age-, sex-, and height-specific systolic or diastolic blood pressure percentile) at age 7 were more likely to die early from cardiovascular disease as adults by their mid-50s. The risk was highest for children whose blood pressure measurements were in the top 10% for their age, sex and height.
• By 2016, a total of 2,837 participants died, with 504 of those deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease.
• Both elevated blood pressure (90-94^th percentile) and hypertension (≥95^th percentile) were linked with about a 40% to 50% higher risk of early cardiovascular death in adulthood.
• Moderate elevations in blood pressure were also important, even among children whose blood pressure was still within the normal range. Children who had blood pressures that were moderately higher than average had a 13% (for systolic) and 18% (for diastolic) higher risk of premature cardiovascular death.
• Analysis of the 150 clusters of siblings in the CPP found that children with the higher blood pressure at age 7 had similar increases in risk of cardiovascular death when compared to their siblings with the lower blood pressure readings (15% increase for systolic and 19% for diastolic), indicating that their shared family and early childhood environment could not fully explain the impact of blood pressure.

“Even in childhood, blood pressure numbers are important because high blood pressure in children can have serious consequences throughout their lives. It is crucial to be aware of your child’s blood pressure readings,” Freedman said.

The study has several limitations, primarily that the analysis included one, single blood pressure measurement for the children at age seven, which may not capture variability or long-term patterns in childhood blood pressure. In addition, participants in the CPP were primarily Black or white, therefore the study’s findings may not be generalizable to children of other racial or ethnic groups. Also, children today are likely to have different lifestyles and environmental exposures than the children who participated in the CPP in the 1960s and 1970s.

Study details, background and design:  

• 38,252 children born to mothers enrolled at one of 12 sites across the U.S. as part of the Collaborative Perinatal Project between 1959-1965. 50.7% of participants were male; 49.4% of mothers self-identified as Black, 46.4% reported as white; and 4.2% of participants were Hispanic, Asian or other groups.
• This analysis reviewed blood pressure taken at age 7, and these measures were converted to age-, sex-, and height-specific percentiles according to the American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Practice Guideline for Screening and Management of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents.
• Survival through 2016 and the cause of death for the offspring of CPP participants in adulthood were retrieved through the National Death Index.
• Survival analysis was used to estimate the association between childhood blood pressure and cardiovascular death, adjusted for childhood body mass index, study site, and mother’s race, education and marital status.
• In addition, the sample included 150 groups of siblings, and the researchers examined whether the sibling with higher blood pressure was more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than the sibling with lower blood pressure. This sibling analysis allowed researchers to ask how much shared family and early childhood factors might account for the mortality risk related to blood pressure.  

Note: Oral presentation #102 is at 10:00 a.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

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Additional Resources:

• Available multimedia is on right column of the release link.
• American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Pediatric Primary Hypertension: An Underrecognized Condition (April 2023)
• American Heart Association news release: High blood pressure a concern for adolescents and young adults in U.S. (September 2024)
• American Heart Association news release: Children with high blood pressure often become adults with high blood pressure (March 2023)
• American Heart Association news release: New high blood pressure guideline emphasizes prevention, early treatment to reduce CVD risk (August 2025)
• American Heart Association health information: The Facts About High Blood Pressure
• Follow AHA/ASA news from the meeting on X @HeartNews #Hypertension25

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The American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025 is a premier scientific conference dedicated to recent advancements in both basic and clinical research related to high blood pressure and its connections to cardiac and kidney diseases, stroke, obesity and genetics. The primary aim of the meeting is to bring together interdisciplinary researchers from around the globe and facilitate engagement with leading experts in the field of hypertension. Attendees will have the opportunity to discover the latest research findings and build lasting relationships with researchers and clinicians across various disciplines and career stages. Follow the conference on X using the hashtag #Hypertension25.

About the American Heart Association

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