Half of the US Population Has Blood Pressure Under Control

More than 65 million people in the United States have high blood pressure. Of those 65 million, about half have it under control. Earlier this year, the Institute of Medicine declared high blood pressure a neglected disease and asked for more guidelines restricting the amount of salt added to packaged foods. Nearly 73 billion dollars are spent every year as a direct result of high blood pressure. It is the second leading cause of death in the US. A sad but true fact is this condition is preventable through diet and exercise and in some cases, prescription medications.

Dr. Brent Egan of the Medical University of South Carolina led a team of colleagues in the study that revealed the good and bad news about high blood pressure. Researchers evaluated the level of awareness, treatment and control among 43,000 adults. The first period of study was between 1988 and 1994 and the second period was 1999 through 2008. At the end of the first period, 27.3 percent had their blood pressure control. The end of the second period, 51.3 percent managed their blood pressure.

Doctors agree that prevention is the best way to control high blood pressure. Although more people have their blood pressure under control, more of the population is at risk of developing high blood pressure due to the obesity rates climbing across the nation. Sedentary lifestyles and smoking can also dramatically increase a person’s risk of developing high blood pressure. The findings of Dr. Egan’s research have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.