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United States Value:
Percentage of adults who reported being told by a health professional that they had high blood pressure
Additional Measures:
Explore Population Data:
Appears In:
Percentage of adults who reported being told by a health professional that they had high blood pressure
<= 30.0%
30.1% - 31.4%
31.5% - 33.9%
34.0% - 36.6%
>= 36.7%
No Data
US Value: 32.4%
Top State(s): Colorado: 26.0%
Bottom State(s): Mississippi: 43.9%
Definition: Percentage of adults who reported being told by a health professional that they had high blood pressure
Data Source and Years(s): CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2021
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
High blood pressure (or hypertension) is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which are the leading and fifth-leading causes of death in the United States, respectively. In 2021, almost 700,000 deaths in the U.S. were caused by complications of hypertension.
High blood pressure often shows no signs or symptoms. Once diagnosed, however, it can be controlled through a combination of diet, exercise and medication. High blood pressure is influenced by risk factors that can be modified, such as smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet (eating foods high in sodium and low in potassium) and excessive alcohol use.
In 2017-2018, the total cost of high blood pressure in the United States was $51.1 billion. By 2035, it is projected that the direct medical costs of high blood pressure could reach $154 billion.
According to America’s Health Rankings data, the prevalence of diagnosed high blood pressure is higher among:
Other populations with a higher prevalence of high blood pressure include:
High blood pressure is an ideal target for prevention and control strategies, as it can be changed through lifestyle modification and health care interventions. Individuals can reduce their risk of developing or manage existing hypertension by:
Interventions promoting education and treatment for high-risk populations, such as barbershop interventions for Black men, have been shown to be effective and sustainable. Improving care coordination for rural and medically underserved areas can help patients access medications and use them correctly. This could be accomplished by encouraging community health workers to establish partnerships with medication therapy management programs to improve medication adherence efforts among patients.
Healthy People 2030 has multiple cardiovascular health objectives, including reducing the proportion of adults with high blood pressure and increasing control of high blood pressure in adults.
Brondolo, Elizabeth, Erica E. Love, Melissa Pencille, Antoinette Schoenthaler, and Gbenga Ogedegbe. “Racism and Hypertension: A Review of the Empirical Evidence and Implications for Clinical Practice.” American Journal of Hypertension 24, no. 5 (May 1, 2011): 518–29. https://doi.org/10.1038/ajh.2011.9.
“Cardiovascular Disease: A Costly Burden for America — Projections Through 2035.” American Heart Association CVD Burden Report. Washington, D.C.: American Heart Association, 2017. https://www.heart.org/-/media/files/get-involved/advocacy/burden-report-consumer-report.pdf.
Hall-Lipsy, Elizabeth, Elizabeth J. Anderson, Ann M. Taylor, Terri Warholak, David Rhys Axon, Zohal Faqeeri, and Rebecca Jastrzab. “Community Health Worker Perspectives of an Academic Community Medication Therapy Management Collaboration.” Journal of the American Pharmacists Association 60, no. 3 (May 2020): 475-480.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2019.11.018.
Muntner, Paul, Cora E. Lewis, Keith M. Diaz, April P. Carson, Yongin Kim, David Calhoun, Yuichiro Yano, Anthony J. Viera, and Daichi Shimbo. “Racial Differences in Abnormal Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Measures: Results From the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.” American Journal of Hypertension 28, no. 5 (May 1, 2015): 640–48. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajh/hpu193.
Tsao, Connie W., Aaron W. Aday, Zaid I. Almarzooq, Alvaro Alonso, Andrea Z. Beaton, Marcio S. Bittencourt, Amelia K. Boehme, et al. “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2022 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.” Circulation 145, no. 8 (February 22, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001052.
Victor Ronald G., Blyler Ciantel A., Li Ning, Lynch Kathleen, Moy Norma B., Rashid Mohamad, Chang L. Cindy, et al. “Sustainability of Blood Pressure Reduction in Black Barbershops.” Circulation 139, no. 1 (January 2, 2019): 10–19. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.038165.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.