Americans are well acquainted with the term “high blood pressure,” also known as hypertension. However, many people are still unaware about the scope of this problem. Listed below are some facts that illustrate the impact of high blood pressure on the American public.

1. High blood pressure is believed to afflict an astounding 75 million Americans, a figure equivalent to nearly a third of adults in the United States.
2. A similar number of adults have blood pressure readings that are above normal, though not yet high enough to be considered hypertension. Roughly 1 in 3 adults fall into this category.
3. The American healthcare system must spend an enormous amount of money to treat high blood pressure, to the tune of $46 billion annually.
4. High blood pressure is present in 70 percent of first-time heart attack victims.
5. Despite the massive presence of hypertension, an estimated of 20 percent of adults with high blood pressure are unaware of their condition.
6. Those that develop kidney disease face a greater threat of also developing hypertension.
7. In the year 2009 alone, high blood pressure was responsible for over 55 million visits to health care providers across the United States.