Hypertension Guide | Nearly half of Americans have hypertension, many don’t know it, and under half have it under control

By Amy Blake
June 11th, 2021

Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure (BP) in adults, is usually defined as “systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 140 Hg or higher, or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90 mm Hg or higher” by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) [1]. Nearly half of adults in the United States (108 million, or 45%) have hypertension, while one-third of Americans with high blood pressure don’t even know it, and over half of US adults with hypertension DO NOT have it under control, [2] neglecting to take medication regularly. According to the CDC, in 2018 nearly 500,000 deaths in the United States included high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause. This is why the early detection of high blood pressure is a crucial aspect of health management.

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