MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Blood pressure (BP) control decreased from a peak in 2013 to 2014, dropping to 43.4 percent in 2017 to 2018, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Hypertension 2020 Scientific Sessions, held virtually from Sept. 10 to 13.
Brent M. Egan, M.D., from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville, and colleagues examined BP control in adults ≥18 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009 to 2018. BP control and its determinants were examined by age group for participants in NHANES 2009 to 2012 and 2015 to 2018.
The researchers found that BP control peaked in 2013 to 2014 for all adults at 54.5 percent, then decreased to 48.0 and 43.4 percent in 2015 to 2016 and 2017 to 2018, respectively (11.1 percent decrease). BP control, awareness, and treatment decreased in adults aged 40 to 59 years when comparing 2015 to 2018 with 2009 to 2012; for adults aged ≥60 years, BP control and treatment efficiency decreased. In all age groups, systolic BP increased 3 to 4 mm Hg.
“We cannot assume improvement in blood pressure management will continue, even after 35 years of success,” Egan said in a statement. “High blood pressure is a serious health risk and deserves constant attention to prevent as many heart attacks and strokes as possible.”
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