Prevalence of Self-Reported Hypertension and Antihypertensive Medication Use Among Adults - United States, 2017

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vol. 69; no. 14; pp. 393 - 398
• Main Authors: Samanic, Claudine M, Barbour, Kamil E, Liu, Yong, Fang, Jing, Lu, Hua, Schieb, Linda, Greenlund, Kurt J
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Atlanta U.S. Center for Disease Control 10-04-2020
• Subjects: Age; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Chronic illnesses; Confidence intervals; Coronary artery disease; Disease prevention; Family income; Health promotion; Health risks; Heart diseases; Hypertension; Men; Minority & ethnic groups; Patient education; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Risk taking; Sociodemographics; Stroke; Surveillance; Women; Womens health; United States > US
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The prevalence of hypertension is higher among men than among women, increases with age, is highest among non-Hispanic blacks (blacks), and has been consistently highest in the Southeastern region of the US. To update prevalence estimates for self-reported hypertension and use of antihypertensive medication, CDC analyzed data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The overall (unadjusted) prevalence of self-reported hypertension was 32.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 32.1%-32.7%). The age-standardized, median state-specific prevalence of self-reported hypertension was 29.7% (range = 24.3%-38.6%). Overall age-standardized hypertension prevalence was higher among men (32.9%) than among women (27.0%), highest among blacks (40.0%), decreased with increasing levels of education and household income, and was generally highest in the Southeastern and Appalachian states. Among persons reporting hypertension, the overall unadjusted prevalence of self-reported antihypertensive medication use was 76.0% (95% CI = 75.5%-76.4%).