Study Says Treating 10 Million U.S. Adults' Hypertension Could Prevent 162,000 Deaths
Updated
Updated · TODAY · Aug 20
Study Says Treating 10 Million U.S. Adults' Hypertension Could Prevent 162,000 Deaths
1 articles · Updated · TODAY · Aug 20
Summary
A new study estimates 162,000 cardiovascular deaths could be avoided over 10 years if nearly 10 million untreated U.S. adults eligible for blood-pressure drugs received them.
The analysis used updated American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines, which define high blood pressure as 130/80 or higher and identify almost 23 million adults as medication-eligible.
Of the 81 million U.S. adults with hypertension, almost half of those eligible for treatment remain untreated, leaving a major gap in prevention.
Doctors call hypertension a “silent killer” because it often has no symptoms but can lead to stroke, heart failure and coronary artery disease.
The report points adults 30 and older without heart disease to the American Heart Association’s PREVENT calculator and to lifestyle steps such as the DASH diet, exercise, stress control, less alcohol and lower salt intake.