For more than three decades, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has administered the National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) Coordinating Committee, a coalition of 39 major professional, public, and voluntary organizations and 7 Federal agencies.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the biggest cause of deaths worldwide. More than 17 million people died from CVDs in 2008. More than 3 million of these deaths occurred before the age of 60 and could have largely been prevented.