NIH study shows decline in high blood pressure treatment, awareness

The numbers of Americans aware of their high blood pressure conditions dropped over a four-year period, from 85% in 2013-2014 to 77% in 2017-2018, according to a National Institutes for Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute study. The study, published today in JAMA, looked at 18,262 U.S. adults with blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher and revealed the first drop in a 15-year upward trend of awareness. The authors say this could threaten decades of public health work to prevent heart disease and stroke. The research also noted a 10% decline in those who manage the condition and a 7% decline in those taking medication to regulate blood pressure.