WHY IS HOME BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING VITAL IN HYPERTENSION CONTROL?
A short talk by the Philippine Heart Association, Philippine Society of Hypertension, and Pfizer Collaborate to Further Manage the Condition in the Philippines

From L-R: Dr. Alberto Atilano, President, Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH); Jing Castañeda, News Anchor, ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs; Dr. Jorge Sison, President, Philippine Heart Association (PHA); Dr. Grace Brizuela, Medical Manager, Pfizer

One of the major health issues in Asia is hypertension. It has a high prevalence rate but poor level of awareness and control reported in many countries in the region makes the condition not known and given the proper medical attention it needs.

Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) has been validated as an accurate and reliable measure of blood pressure because of the following reasons:

1. It can help guide hypertension treatment

2. identify masked and white-coat hypertension.

Despite its benefits, there has been limited research into home blood pressure monitoring in Asia.

In observance of World Hypertension Day, the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), and Pfizer, have come together to fortify their commitment in raising awareness and promoting hypertension prevention, detection, and control among Filipinos, including measures that they could take in their own homes.

The value of HBPM or Home Blood Pressure Monitoring:
In a nationwide survey conducted in 2013, it was indicated that despite a high treatment rate of 75% among adult patients diagnosed with hypertension, adequate blood pressure control rate was low at 27%

Dr. Jorge A. Sison, PHA President, in a discussion held at the Edsa Shangri-La recently, validated that, “There are several factors that contribute to the current hypertension burden in Asia and the Philippines. This includes the current diet that most Filipinos eat - - restaurant and processed food, sugar drinks, etc; the relative physical inactivity, increasing rate of smoking, and increasing number of people who are beyond their ideal weight. This is only in addition to one’s inherent genetic disposition to develop hypertension.”

There is growing acknowledgment for the role of HBPM to evaluate and guide management of hypertension. Aside from being a simple tool for measuring blood pressure, HBPM is also recommended by guidelines to obtain reliable BP recordings because readings are taken in an environment that approximates one’s daily activities and exposures.

Home systolic BP (SBP) <135 mm Hg and diastolic BP (DBP) <85 mm Hg are typically considered normal.

Sison added, “HBPM is performed in the Philippines, but not routinely, and there are no published data on the use of HBPM in the country. HBPM is currently used to investigate the status of BP control in patients with known hypertension who are taking treatment but with uncontrolled BP on follow-up. Some specialists use HBPM to make a diagnosis of hypertension in conjunction with clinic BP. Potential barriers to the use of HBPM include the cost and availability of HBPM devices, with only around 25% of the population with hypertension currently having access to such devices. Another barrier is the lack of trust among patients regarding the accuracy of their digital BP devices.”

Dr. Sison’s discussion of the Pfizer-funded research reveals that the burden of hypertension is shared by neighboring countries in Asia. And through the collaborative work of experts from these 12 countries, consensus statements have been formed which includes the recommendation to use HBPM as an additional tool to diagnose hypertension. By gaining a better understanding of a patient’s blood pressure pattern, the opportunity to appropriately manage the patient is enhanced, therefore increasing the chance of achieving BP control and reduce occurrence of complications like stroke and heart attack.

Hypertension control initiatives

Dr. Alberto A. Atilano, PSH President, said, “High blood pressure is a silent killer. It is the number one contributing risk factor for global death, causing many cardiovascular complications.” He explained that people often don’t know they have high blood pressure because there are no symptoms.

In line with PSH participation in the global initiative called May Measurement Month, which is spearheaded by the International Society of Hypertension, Dr Atilano shared how the local society is reaching out to all Filipinos to encourage screening for hypertension.

Working together

Pfizer is committed to advancing collaborative efforts to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with a wide range of chronic diseases – not just hypertension – for people to live better, healthier lives.

Some of the doctors present during the talk are the following (in no particular order) : Dr. Erric Cino from PHA, Dr. Debbie Oña from PSH, Dr. Baby Leus from PHA, Dr. Dolly Banzon from PSH, Dr. Nannette Rey from PHA, Dr. Bimbo Diaz from PSH

According to Pfizer Medical Manager and internal medicine specialist Dr. Grace Brizuela, “Our efforts to positively impact patient outcomes would not be possible without our partnership with organizations like PHA and PSH. By collaborating on common objectives to advance public health and supporting programs that create solutions for communities and stakeholders, Pfizer strengthens its commitment to help improve the lives of the patients we serve.”

Below are some guidelines in using Home Blood Pressure Monitoring:

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QualiMed Clinic recently opened a branch at the UP Town Center along Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. This clinic is the 7th among QualiMed Centers.

The newest addition to the QualiMed Health Network, a network of clinics, surgery centers and hospitals owned and operated by the Mercado General Hospital, Inc and in partnership with Ayala Land, Inc, QualiMed Clinic UP Town Center aims to give quality services to the neighboring communities and villages in the area. UP Town Center’s QualiMed Clinic is a 186-sqm clinic located at the ground level. It focuses on providing preventative and promotive primary care for families. Family Wellness is one of its main services along with medical consultations, diagnostic checkups, pediatric checkups and vaccinations, geriatric checkups, adult vaccinations and maternal wellness packages. A special clinic is opening too to promote overall mental health through the psychiatric counseling services.

QualiMed Health Network operated under three facility formats: (1) mall-based multispecialty clinics, (2) ambulatory or day surgery centers and (3) full-service general hospitals.

The multi-specialty clinics serve as primary care provider for preventive and promotive care with features like doctors’ clinics, laboratory, radiology, ECG, drug testing and vaccination services among other services.

To cater to a wider array of patients, the QualiMed Health Network is devoted to giving services with 3As : Affordable and predictable rates, Accessible services and Appropriate, quality and genuine care.

QualiMed data for doctors and patients are in a Centralized Information System where Electronic Medical Records (EMR), X-ray and Lab results can be accessed using the QualiMed health portal in any facility. This means patients can go to another QualiMed branch and still be able to access his/her medical record even if these were recorded from another branch.

PARTNERS:

QualiMed Clinics has partnered with the following doctor practice groups:

1. AlphaHealth Professionals, Inc (AHP) a practice group composed of medical specialists who offer their expertise to health organizations.

2. Asian Eye Institute, a world-class ambulatory eye center with international health care accreditation.

3. MetroDental, a pioneering dental chain in the Philippines offering a wide range of dental services with trained and board certified specialists committed to high quality service in the latest dental treatment and procedures.

4. ImageDX Radiology Consultants, a group of radiologists committed to providing top-notch medical service in the fields of Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology and Radiation Oncology.

5. UPSI or University Pathologists Specialists, Inc. is a group of pathologists working in various specialization like cytology, head and neck, hematopathology, breast, female genital tract, bone and soft tissue, gastrointestinal, lung, molecular and forensics.

Contact Details:

QualiMed Clinic, lower ground floor UP Town Center, Diliman, QC

Tel: (02) 904-1406

clinic hours: 7am - 9pm

Other QualiMed Clinic locations:

1. Daniel O. Mercado Medical Center in the Calabarzon Area

2. QualiMed Surgery Center in Manila

3. QualiMed Clinic in Trinoma Mall

4. QualiMed Surgery Center in Fairview Terraces

5. QualiMed Clinic in McKinley Exchange Corporate Center in Makati

6. QualiMed Hospital in Iloilo

We Filipinos are known to survive the odds we face on a day to day basis. From one of the worst rainy season experience that has occurred called Ondoy, the benchmark of all flooding to come, to Habagat flooding, (to which one refers to depends on the year it happened), earthquakes, mine spills, volcanic eruptions, the recent notable weather disturbance called Mario, are just some of the things we have to deal with from time to time. Put in traffic for those who live in the NCR and we see tired and stressed out people.

In all these weather disturbances and natural calamities (and traffic woes), it is imperative that we are always prepared to face the challenges that will come.

These calamities have brought the best (and of course the worst but I will not dwell in this negativity) in us Filipinos. We say that the Filipino spirit is indomitable and that we show the world how we survive these calamities and how we have not just strengthened our solidarity as Filipinos but how we found compassion and will to serve those who are in need.

In serving others who are in need, we do not do so half-heartedly. We serve with excellence and compassion, in Filipino, husay at malasakit. We show husay at malasakit not only to our family and friends but to those who need help.

When I saw Unilab’s new TVC, it deeply touched my heart to see how the company’s thrust on husay at malasakit hopes to influence not just their viewership but those who have the capacity, time, resources and the willingness in their hearts and spirits to help our country.

Being a mother makes me a partner with my husband as the primary giver of love and care to our family. Just like Unilab, the country’s biggest pharmaceutical company, we also believe in the power of husay and malasakit in rearing our children.

Having been privileged to be able to visit Unilab’s facilities twice, I have seen how technological advances has been incorporated in how they manufacture the supplements a lot of us purchase whether as nutritional supplements or as aid in our physical ailments. To better take care of the Filipinos better, the facilities and procedures are given the utmost safety precautions to make sure that the products are safe and adhere to high quality standards.

Having skin care products from Unilab shows how much technological advances and innovations they have achieved. Unilab also promotes having an active life which makes people healthier. The manufacture of their healthcare products is what will always be the company’s “heart” with the health and safety of the Filipinos at the core.

There are affordable and superior quality healthcare products for those with limited resources assure them that they can still have safe and high quality products. These Unilab products are distributed across the country, from Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao.

Unilab believes in the spirit of genuine concern to make lives better with its husay and malasakit thrust.

As a mom, I believe in companies that show concern and whose products adhere to high quality standards but not too expensive, because this is the way I raise my family: for the children to be the best they can be, to have our needs met using products with high quality standards but without compromising our financial capabilities and to have happy and healthy lives.

As a mom, I believe in Unilab’s husay at malasakit campaign because I am a consumer who buys their products.