Rural Health and Health Disparities in Hypertension Management
Updated: June 25, 2026
- Hypertension prevalence is higher and blood pressure (BP) control is lower in rural populations compared with urban populations, contributing to excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
- Health care professional shortages, travel barriers, hospital closures, limited access to medications, poverty, lower educational attainment, and limited access to health care services all contribute to disparities in hypertension diagnosis, treatment, and control in rural communities.
- Telehealth and remote blood pressure monitoring can improve access to care, but their impact may be limited by broadband availability, device access, and digital literacy barriers in rural populations.
Supporting Materials
Recommended Reading
- 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline
- Implementation Strategies to Improve Blood Pressure Control in the United States
- Medication Adherence and Blood Pressure Control
- 2024 ACC/AHA Key Data Elements and Definitions for Social Determinants of Health in Cardiology: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Data Standards | Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes
- Forecasting the Burden of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in the United States Through 2050 — Prevalence of Risk Factors and Disease
- An Overview of Telehealth in the Management of Cardiovascular Disease
- Call to Action: Rural Health