Nearly 6 in 10 People With High Blood Pressure Don't Know It

An analysis from the Our Future Health study examined 1.4 million adults in England. High blood pressure was present in 37.2% of participants, yet 58.8% of those affected were unaware of it. Treatment did not always bring readings into the desired range: 50.2% of people receiving care for hypertension still had uncontrolled blood pressure.

Hypertension commonly produces no noticeable symptoms, according to the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, elevated pressure can place strain on the heart, blood vessels and other organs. This makes feeling well an unreliable indication of whether blood pressure is elevated—an important concern for adults who may otherwise feel healthy and active.

Age influenced prevalence, but missed cases were not limited to older people. Among men, hypertension affected about 23% of those ages 18 to 39 and 73% of those 80 and older. A separate study involving 24,000-plus primary care patients found that adults ages 18 to 44 had over twice the odds of undiagnosed hypertension compared with older adults. People considered at the lowest overall risk were also most likely to have an unnoticed case.

The findings point to gaps beyond initial detection. Possible factors behind uncontrolled readings among treated patients include limited follow-up, medication requiring adjustment and difficulty taking medication consistently. Blood pressure screening is quick and painless, and it is increasingly available beyond doctors’ offices.