High Blood Pressure Facts

Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, leading causes of death in the United States.¹ People of all ages and backgrounds can develop high blood pressure, and it's mostly preventable.

America's High Blood Pressure Burden

• About 1 in 3 U.S. adults—an estimated 68 million—has high blood pressure.²
• High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.
• High blood pressure was listed as a primary or contributing cause of death for more than 347,000 Americans in 2008.³
• In 2010, high blood pressure was projected to cost the United States $93.5 billion in health care services, medications, and missed days of work.⁴
• About 1 in 2 U.S. adults with high blood pressure has it under control.²
• Almost 30% of American adults have prehypertension—blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range.³ Prehypertension raises your risk for high blood pressure.

Levels Vary by Age

Women are about as likely as men to develop high blood pressure during their lifetimes. However, for people under 45 years old, the condition affects more men than women. For people 65 years and older, it affects more women than men.³

Age	Men (%)	Women (%)
20-34	11.1	6.8
35-44	25.1	19.0
45-54	37.1	35.2
55-64	54.0	53.3
65-74	64.0	69.3
75 and older	66.7	78.5
All	34.1	32.7

Levels Vary by Race and Ethnicity

African Americans develop high blood pressure more often, and at an earlier age, than whites and Mexican Americans do. Among African Americans, more women than men have the condition.³

Race of Ethnic Group	Men (%)	Women (%)
African Americans	43.0	45.7
Mexican Americans	27.8	28.9
Whites	33.9	31.3
All	34.1	32.7

Americans Are Making Progress

From 1999-2004 through 2005-2006, more people with high blood pressure, especially those 60 years and older, have become aware of their condition and gotten treatment.³

Talk with Your Doctor About High Blood Pressure

• In 2006, 66.2% of adults who visited their doctor had their blood pressure checked.⁵
• About one in five (20.4%) U.S. adults with high blood pressure don't know that they have it.³
• In 2006, Americans visited their doctors more than 40 million times to treat their high blood pressure.⁶
• About 7 in 10 U.S. adults (69.9%) with high blood pressure use medications to treat the condition.²

Fact Sheets

• High Blood Pressure
• Pulmonary Hypertension

References

1. Miniño AM, Murphy SL, Xu J, et al. Deaths: Final data for 2008. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 59 no 10. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2011.
2. CDC. Vital signs: prevalence, treatment, and control of hypertension—United States, 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. MMWR. 2011;60(4):103-8.
3. Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2012 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. Epub 2011 Dec 15.
4. Heidenreich PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou OA, Butler J, Dracup K, Ezekowitz MD, et al. Forecasting the future of cardiovascular disease in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123:933-44. Epub 2011 Jan 24.
5. Cherry DK, Hing E, Woodwell DA, Rechsteiner EA. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Summary. National Health Statistics Reports; No. 3. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2008.
6. Schappert SM, Rechtsteiner EA. Ambulatory Medical Care Utilization Estimates for 2006. National Health Statistics Reports; No. 8. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2008.