Prevalence of self-reported hypertension 30 percent in 2017 to 2021

The overall age-standardized prevalence of hypertension was about 30 percent in 2017 to 2021, according to research published in the March 7 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Ahlia Sekkarie, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2017 to 2021 to examine the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension and antihypertensive medication use.

The researchers found that age-standardized, self-reported diagnosed hypertension was about 30 percent during 2017 to 2021, with persistent differences observed by age, sex, race and ethnicity, education level, and state of residence. Among persons with hypertension, the age-standardized prevalence of antihypertensive medication use increased from 59.8 to 62.9 percent during this period. Most sociodemographic groups and many states had increases in antihypertensive medication use.

"Knowledge of trends in diagnosed hypertension and treatment is an essential tool for guiding state-level, individual, clinical, and public health policies and interventions, such as those promoted by the Million Hearts national initiative, to prevent cardiovascular disease," the authors write.