The percentage of American adults with high blood pressure has been stuck at 30% for a decade, although patients appear to be better aware of the condition and rates of successful control have improved, the CDC reported.
Data from the agency’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2008 showed that the prevalence of hypertension hasn’t budged, either overall or in the major racial-ethnic subgroups, Sung Sug Yoon and colleagues from the National Center for Health Statistics wrote in a data brief.
But on the plus side, awareness of hypertension and control of blood pressure in patients diagnosed with the condition have both risen, they found.
NHANES is an ongoing project in which approximately 10,000 people complete detailed questionnaires on their diets and health status and also undergo physical examinations, which include blood pressure measurements. The interviews and exams are conducted every two years on a new set of participants.
More of Hypertension stat stuck at 30 per cent for last 10 years
