Researchers find most Americans with high blood pressure don’t have it under control

Four out of five U.S. adults living with high blood pressure don’t have their condition under control, researchers said Tuesday, signaling possibly deadly repercussions.

Some 120 million Americans are affected by the chronic condition, which can raise people’s risk of kidney disease, heart failure, dementia or a deadly heart attack or stroke.

Controlling high blood pressure – also known as hypertension – is crucial to lower these risks and improve overall quality of life.

People can do that through maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly, as well as taking medication that helps to keep their hearts from being overworked.

But the researchers also found that more than 61% of Americans with uncontrolled blood pressure aren’t taking medication.

"Clearly, the vast majority of patients really need to have optimization of their blood pressure, and there's a big gap in blood pressure management that is not being addressed,” Dr. Benjamin Hirsh, director of preventive cardiology at New York's Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital, told HealthDay News, reacting to the findings.

“This can portend negative adverse health effects for these patients who are undertreated.”

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Source: The Independent, 5 February 2026