New DMPs (disease management programmes) fail to target high blood pressure

A decision by the working group of the co-ordination committee of the German health service to omit high blood pressure treatment from the first four disease management programmes (DMPs) could have a negative impact on medical device companies operating in this field. Social Democratic MP Klaus Kirschner, chairman of the parliamentary health committee, has strongly objected to the omission, claiming that the illness affects 30% of German men and 27% of German women between the ages of 25-69. "If the sickness funds introduced a DMP for high blood pressure, we could avoid some 25,000 heart attacks per year," he said.