High Blood Pressure Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is high blood pressure?
• What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
• What can you do to reduce your risk?
• How many Americans have high blood pressure?
• How much does high blood pressure cost the United States?
• What does the CDC do to address high blood pressure?

What is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the force of blood against your artery walls as it circulates through your body. Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but it can cause health problems if it stays high for a long time. Find out more about high blood pressure.

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is sometimes called the "silent killer" because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms. Many people do not know that they have high blood pressure. That’s why it's important to get your blood pressure checked regularly.

What can you do to reduce your risk?

There are several things that you can do to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range—

• Get your blood pressure checked regularly.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Be physically active.
• Limit alcohol use.
• Don’t smoke.
• Prevent or treat diabetes.

Find out more about preventing high blood pressure.

How many Americans have high blood pressure?

About 1 in 3 U.S. adults—an estimated 68 million—have high blood pressure.¹ Anyone, including children, can develop high blood pressure. It greatly increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of death in the United States.

How much does high blood pressure cost the United States?

In 2010, high blood pressure was projected to cost the United States $93.5 billion in health care services, medications, and missed days of work.²

What does CDC do to address high blood pressure?

CDC runs several heart disease and stroke prevention programs that help people learn to prevent and control high blood pressure. CDC funds state efforts as well as a detailed national plan to reduce heart disease. For more information on these programs, see how CDC addresses high blood pressure.

References

1. CDC. Vital signs: prevalence, treatment, and control of hypertension--United States, 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. MMWR. 2011;60(4):103-8.
2. Heidenreich PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou OA, Butler J, Dracup K, Ezekowitz MD, et al. Forecasting the future of cardiovascular disease in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123:933-44. Epub 2011 Jan 24.