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High blood pressure is known as “the silent killer” because there are often no symptoms, even though it can be deadly. A staggering 44% of American women are living with high blood pressure — also known as hypertension — but only 1 in 5 have it under control.1,2 High blood pressure leads to heart disease, which accounts for about $1 of every $7 spent on health care.3 Most shocking, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., but only 56% of women recognize that it’s their number one killer.4
The good news is that high blood pressure is the single most modifiable risk factor for heart disease.5 It can be managed — and even prevented — with the right care and support. So, what’s standing in the way for working women, and how can employers help them succeed? As Dr. Nailah Thompson, a Kaiser Permanente board-certified internal medicine, preventive medicine, and lifestyle medicine physician and hypertension specialist, explains, “It’s about meeting women where they are, and tailoring support to your employees’ real-life needs — in and out of the workplace.”