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 www http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns

Getting Blood Pressure 

Under Control

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for 

heart disease and stroke, both of which are 

leading causes of death in the US. Nearly onethird of all American adults have high blood 

pressure and more than half of them don’t have 

it under control.* Many with uncontrolled high 

blood pressure don’t know they have it. Millions 

are taking blood pressure medicines, but their 

blood pressure is still not under control. There 

are many missed opportunities for people with 

high blood pressure to gain control. Doctors, 

nurses and others in health care systems should 

identify and treat high blood pressure at 

every visit. 

*Blood pressure control means having a systolic blood pressure less 

than 140 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg, 

among people with high blood pressure.

Learn what you can do to get control of high 

blood pressure. 

 See page 4

Want to learn more? Visit

About 36 million adults with 

high blood pressure don’t have it 

under control. 

High blood pressure 

contributes to nearly 1,000 

deaths a day. 

1 in 3

Nearly 1 in 3 adults (about 

67 million) have high blood 

pressure.

36M

Many missed opportunities to 

prevent heart disease and stroke 

1,000

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 

Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

September 2012
Problem

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Controlling blood pressure 

has to be a priority. 

Why is blood pressure control so important to health? 

When your blood pressure is high:

◊ You are 4 times more likely to die from a stroke

◊ You are 3 times more likely to die from heart disease

Even blood pressure that is slightly high can put you at greater risk.

Most people with uncontrolled high blood pressure:

◊	Know they have high blood pressure ◊ See their doctor ◊ Take prescribed medicine

Each of these is important, but there is much more to do. What’s needed now is for doctors, nurses 

and their patients to pay regular and frequent attention to controlling blood pressure.

Source: NHANES 2003-2010

and or or

Systolic

Diastolic

Systolic

Diastolic

Systolic

Diastolic

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MAKE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHANGES CHECK WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER 

AND TAKE MEDICINES AS PRESCRIBED

Under

Under

Greater than

or equal to

Greater than

or equal to

Know your numbers and what they mean 

have High Blood Pressure

Million Americans 67

Percentage

80%

100%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Have High Blood Aware

Pressure

Treated Controlled

67M

53M 47M

31M

If you have diabetes, talk with your doctor about appropriate blood pressure levels.
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Tracking Success in 

Blood Pressure Control

Health care systems

High blood pressure control 

throughout health care 

systems improves by using 

electronic health records 

(EHRs) and patient 

registries to:

◊ Include quality measures 

for performance

◊ Identify and follow-up with 

patients who have high 

blood pressure 

◊ Notify doctors about 

patients with high blood 

pressure readings

Patients

Blood pressure control improves 

when patients take action.

◊ Take medicines as prescribed

◊ Learn to measure blood 

pressure on your own

◊ Lower your risk by: 

• Eating a healthy, low 

sodium diet.

• Exercising

• Maintaining a healthy weight.

• Limiting alcohol use.

• Not smoking.

Source: Wofford MR, Minor DS. Hypertension: issues in control and resistance. 

Curr Hypertens Rep 2009;11:323–8.

Doctors, nurses and others who 

treat patients

High blood pressure control improves when 

it’s a priority:

◊ Focus on blood pressure and track your performance

◊ Use a team-based care approach

◊ Checking and addressing blood pressure at every visit 

◊ Simplify treatment:

• Once-a-day doses of medicine when possible

• Fewer pills 

◊ Too many people have it.

◊ The risks are serious.

◊ A team-based care 

approach can help.

Uncontrolled

High Blood Pressure
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 www http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns

 www http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr

For more information, please contact 

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

TTY: 1-888-232-6348

E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Web: www.cdc.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333

Publication date: 09/04/2012

What Can Be Done

Federal government is 

◊ Joining with the private sector in leading the 

national Million HeartsTM initiative to prevent a 

million heart attacks and strokes by 2017 (http://

millionhearts.hhs.gov). 

◊ Working with pharmacists on activities to provide 

education and counseling to patients with high 

blood pressure. 

◊ Focusing on the importance of high blood pressure 

as a Leading Health Indicator. (http://www.

healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/clinicalPreventive.

aspx).

◊ Measuring progress against the specific objectives

in Healthy People 2020. (http://www.

healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/

objectiveslist.aspx?topicId=21). 

Health care systems where patients are 

seen and treated can

◊ Start having doctors, nurses, and others review 

patient records, looking for patients who need more 

attention to control their high blood pressure. 

◊ Create system-wide targets using Healthy People 

2020 objectives to achieve blood pressure control. 

◊ Update staff monthly on progress and give feedback 

on success measures.

◊ Make it easier for patients to stay on medicines:

•	 Consider 90-day refills for prescriptions

•	 Consider no or lower co-payments for

medicines

Doctors, nurses and others who 

treat patients can

◊ Flag and monitor patients with high blood pressure 

or who are at-risk. Report progress on patients 

using National Quality Forum (NQF) 0018. (http://

www.qualityforum.org/MeasureDetails.aspx?actid=

0&SubmissionId=1236#p=2&s=n&so=a).

◊ Counsel patients to take their medicines and make 

lifestyle changes. Follow their progress.

◊ Regularly evaluate the blood pressure medicines 

they take to determine whether these need to 

be changed.

◊ Address every blood pressure reading that is high 

by talking with the patient about taking prescribed 

medicines, adjusting current medicines and/or 

encouraging lifestyle changes. Consider once-a-day 

doses of medicines when possible. 

Everyone can

◊ Take prescribed medicines each day and follow the 

directions on the bottle. If your blood pressure is 

still not under control or if you have side effects, 

talk with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about 

possibly changing your medicine.

◊ Work to maintain a healthy weight and meet 

the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 

(http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/

guidelines/)

◊ Follow a heart healthy eating plan with foods lower 

in sodium.

◊ Get help to stop smoking. If you don’t smoke, 

don’t start.

◊ Measure and write down your blood pressure 

readings between doctor’s visits. This can be done 

at home, at a grocery store or at the pharmacy.

◊ Keep your doctor, nurse, pharmacist or other health

care provider informed of your blood pressure 

readings that you take at home. 

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