Hot Topic: Global Burden of Treating Hypertension—What is the Role of the Emergency Department?

Hypertension (HTN) is the most common modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are projected to bear the vast majority of this disease burden, but local and regional health care delivery systems in these countries are ill equipped to meet this need. Emergency care is receiving increased recognition as a crucial component of public and community health. The rapid evolution of emergency care in LMICs provides a unique opportunity to develop innovative strategies, incorporating existing strengths of emergency departments, to address this paradigm shift in the disease burden associated with HTN on a global scale.