More than half of U.S. adults with uncontrolled hypertension may be unaware of their condition, despite nearly 70% having seen a health care provider in the past year, according to a recent study.
In the cross-sectional study, published in JAMA Network Open, investigators used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between January 2017 and March 2020 to examine the hypertension control cascade among U.S. adults. The study included 3,129 participants aged 18 years or older with uncontrolled hypertension.
Uncontrolled hypertension was found in 83.7% (weighted percentage) of the adults with hypertension, with a notably high prevalence in younger adults aged 18 to 44 years, where 68.4% of them were unaware of their condition. Among the population with uncontrolled hypertension, more than half (weighted percentage = 57.6%) were unaware of their diagnosis despite nearly 70% reporting two or more health care visits in the previous year. Among those aware of their hypertension and meeting criteria for antihypertensive therapy, 70.8% were treated with medication; however, their blood pressure remained uncontrolled.
The investigators identified areas for improvement in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control, particularly among younger adults and those engaged in health care. Interventions to enhance awareness, treatment intensification, and adherence to evidence-based guidelines could be useful in addressing this public health issue.
The study estimated that around 100.4 million adults in the United States may be living with uncontrolled hypertension.
Full disclosures can be found in the published study.