Although many Americans are aware of the dangers associated with high blood pressure and many are controlling the condition, the prevalence of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, hasn't changed in a decade, health officials report.
According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 percent of American adults suffer from hypertension.
"Overall, the prevalence of high blood pressure hasn't changed over the last 10 years," said lead author Sarah Yoon, an epidemiologist at CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.
In fact, the prevalence of hypertension did not change significantly, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex or age, she noted.
"However, there have been significant increases in high blood pressure awareness, treatment and control among people with high blood pressure over the same time period," Yoon added.
Part of the reason that treatment and awareness of hypertension has increased while the prevalence of the condition remains stagnant is the ongoing obesity epidemic and the aging population, both of which tend to produce more hypertensives, Yoon explained.
So, more people become hypertensive even as more people keep their blood pressure controlled, she explained.
Source: Business Week
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