| Demographic Group: | Resident persons aged >=18 years. |
| Numerator: | Respondents aged >=18 years who report taking medicine for high blood pressure. |
| Denominator: | Respondents aged >=18 years who report having been told by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional of having high blood pressure (excluding unknowns and refusals). |
| Measures of Frequency: | Annual prevalence — crude and age-adjusted (standardized by the direct method to the year 2000 standard U.S. population, distribution 9*) — with 95% confidence interval. |
| Time Period of Case Definition: | Previous year. |
| Background: | In 2001, a total of 26% of adults reported having been told by a health-care provider that they have high blood pressure. Although the rate of recent blood pressure screening was relatively high (approximately 90% of adults have been screened in the previous year), the prevalence of controlled hypertension among persons with high blood pressure was much lower (approximately 25%–35%). |
| Significance: | Approximately 20%–30% of coronary heart disease and 20%–50% of strokes in the United States are attributable to uncontrolled hypertension. Blood pressure-related cardiovascular complications can occur before the onset of established hypertension. Lifestyle risk factors for hypertension include high sodium intake, excessive caloric intake, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, and deficient potassium intake. Lifestyle changes and medications can be used to reduce blood pressure. |
| Limitations of Indicator: | Indicator does not measure the proportion of adults with diagnosed hypertension who have their blood pressure successfully controlled. Also, the indicator does not include persons with hypertension who have their blood pressure successfully controlled through lifestyle changes and without medication. |
| Data Resources: | Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/ |
| Limitations of Data Resources: | As with all self-reported sample surveys, BRFSS data might be subject to systematic error resulting from noncoverage (e.g., lower telephone coverage among populations of low socioeconomic status), nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or to answer specific questions), or measurement (e.g., social desirability or recall bias). |
| Healthy People 2010 Objectives: | No objective. |
