ABSTRACT
Public Law 92-423, the National Heart, Blood Vessel, Lung and Blood Act of September 1972, stated that “the (National Heart, Lung and Blood) Institute . . . shall conduct a program to provide the public and health professionals with health information . . . special emphasis shall be placed upon . . . diet, exercise . . . hypertension, weight control, and other factors affecting the prevention of arteriosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.” In 1997, the National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) celebrated its 25th anniversary. This chapter describes how the NHBPEP has addressed this mandate for the last quarter century and reviews selected functional characteristics of the public health education campaign.
