About 70 million American adults (29%) have hypertension (HTN)—that is 1 of every 3 adults. The prevalence of HTN rises dramatically with increasing age in both men and women. Hypertension increases risk for heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease. And, despite our efforts, only about half (52%) of people with HTN have their condition under control. More than 360 000 American deaths in 2013—almost 1000 deaths each day—included HTN as a primary or contributing cause. A clinician, researcher, and nurse educator at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Cheryl Dennison Himmelfarb is committed to improving cardiovascular care for high-risk, underserved populations. Her current research—which bridges scientific research and clinical practice and develops and tests interdisciplinary and health information technology-based approaches—focuses on reducing system and provider barriers to the implementation of cardiovascular guidelines in acute, primary care, and community settings.

Image courtesy of interviewee. December 7, 2016