A descriptive case analysis of hypertension and affiliated therapies in a retiree population (ages 40-85) at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Because current methods of tracking hypertension are time-consuming and expensive, the prevalence of hypertension in retired populations is often unknown. Tracking retiree hypertension is important because it can help to conserve scarce resources and save lives by preventing strokes and other diseases. Intended as a case study, an alternative method of tracking hypertension using pharmacy records and ambulatory data system records to confirm diagnosis of hypertension was used to determine the prevalence of hypertension in a retired military population (ages 40--85). The results indicated that matching pharmacy data with ICD9 401 diagnosis data and medical records is a more efficient method of tracking hypertension. Also studied was the racial variance in the prevalence of hypertension in the retired military population; however, data proved insufficient to determine racial variances.