Statistics on Health and High Blood Pressure
To get started, let's consider these numbers:
- More than 65 million American adults -- 1 in 3 -- have high blood pressure
- Nearly 60 million Americans are over age 55, which means they have a 90 percent likelihood of developing high blood pressure in their lifetimes
- African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than any other racial or ethnic group, and tend to develop it earlier and more severely than others
- 18 million Americans have diabetes, which increases their chances of developing high blood pressure
- 122 million American adults are overweight or obese, which is a risk factor for developing high blood pressure.
Why Is High Blood Pressure a Health Concern?
Hypertension is a health concern because it is a factor in a number of the most common conditions people develop as they get older. Preventing high blood pressure can reduce the chances of a person developing these life-threatening or life-altering conditions. Consider the following facts:
- High blood pressure is a factor in 67 percent of heart attacks in the United States
- High blood pressure is the second leading cause of chronic kidney failure in the United States -- responsible for 26 percent of all cases
- High blood pressure is a factor in 77 percent of strokes -- the third leading cause of death in the United States
- High blood pressure affects circulation -- creating a higher risk for mental deterioration and Alzheimer's disease
- High blood pressure precedes 74 percent of cases of heart failure in the United States
- High blood pressure causes more visits to doctors than any other condition -- just a 10 percent decline in the number of visits would save $478 million each year
- High blood pressure and its complications cost the U.S. economy more than $100 billion each year.
