Nearly 1 in 3 American adults (67 million) has high blood pressure, and more than half (36 million) don?t have it under control, according to a new Vital Signs report from CDC.

The majority of people with high blood pressure (also called hypertension) are being treated with medicine, and have seen a doctor at least twice in the past year, yet their condition is still not under control.

CDC Director Thomas R.?Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., calls high blood pressure the nation?s second public health enemy, behind tobacco use. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the first and fourth leading causes of death in the United States, leading to nearly 1,000 deaths a day.

Controlling high blood pressure is a key component of the Million Hearts™ initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017 through clinical and community interventions. By enlisting partners from across the health sector—pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, and community health workers—Million Hearts™ focuses on improving patient support and follow-up care, managing medicines, and helping patients stick to a blood pressure control plan.

To learn more about blood pressure, visit CDC's Blood Pressure website. To read the full Vital Signs report, titled ?Awareness and Treatment of Uncontrolled Hypertension Among Adults—United States, 2003?2010,? visit CDC?s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6135a3.htm?s_cid=mm6135a3_w.

More information on Vital Signs, a report that provides the latest data and information on key health indicators, is available at http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/AboutVitalSigns.html.