High Blood Pressure is often referred to as “The Silent Killer”. Here are the facts:
- About 1 in 3 U.S. adults—an estimated 68 million people—has high blood pressure.
- 69% of people who have a first heart attack, 77% of people who have a first stroke, and 74% of people with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure.
- High blood pressure is also a major risk factor for kidney disease.
- High blood pressure was listed as a primary or contributing cause of death for about 348,000 Americans in 2008.
- Costs directly attributable to high blood pressure for the nation total almost $131 billion annually in direct medical expenses and $25 billion in lost productivity.
- Less than half (46%) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control.
- Almost 30% of American adults have prehypertension—blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range. Prehypertension raises your risk of developing high blood pressure.
- Reducing average population sodium intake from 3,300 mg to 2,300 mg per day may reduce cases of high blood pressure by 11 million and save 18 billion health care dollars annually.