Supply: Annenberg Science and Public Well being (ASAPH) Survey, April 2025. Credit score: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart
Hypertension or hypertension, which may result in coronary heart assault and stroke, the 2 prime causes of loss of life in the USA, is without doubt one of the most widespread continual sicknesses in America, afflicting almost half of adults. In a current Annenberg Public Coverage Heart (APPC) well being survey, 35% of respondents report having been identified with hypertension and two‐thirds of this group say they’re considerably or very frightened about having hypertension.
However the survey finds that few U.S. adults—together with those that have been identified with hypertension—can appropriately determine what blood strain studying docs think about “high.” A studying of 130/80 mm Hg or over is taken into account excessive, in line with the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), and simply over 1 in 8 Individuals know this.
The survey, carried out amongst 1,653 empaneled U.S. adults from April 15–28, 2025, finds that over a 3rd assume incorrectly that hypertension almost all the time has noticeable signs like dizziness and shortness of breath (it would not). And almost 4 in 10 say incorrectly that feeling calm and relaxed is an indication that your blood strain is in a standard vary (it is not).
Regardless of these frequent misconceptions, the survey finds that a big majority of U.S. adults is accustomed to measures that may assist to decrease hypertension—they usually’re identified each to individuals with hypertension and people who haven’t been identified with it. (See the topline for the info.)
“Because controlling blood pressure reduces one’s risk of serious health problems, including heart attacks and strokes,” stated Patrick E. Jamieson, director of the coverage heart’s Annenberg Well being and Danger Communication Institute, “correcting misperceptions about ways to identify it should be a public health priority.”
Highlights
The Annenberg Public Coverage Heart’s April 2025 well being survey finds that:
Among the many U.S. adults in our research who report ever being identified with hypertension or hypertension, about two‐thirds are considerably or very frightened about it.
Simply 13% of Individuals can determine the blood strain studying that signifies hypertension—130/80 mm Hg or over—however extra incorrectly assume it’s 140/90, an earlier cutoff level that was lowered by cardiologists in 2017. Almost 1 / 4 of Individuals do not know which studying signifies hypertension.
Over a 3rd of Individuals assume that hypertension almost all the time has noticeable signs like dizziness and shortness of breath and almost 4 in 10 say that feeling calm and relaxed is an indication your blood strain is in a standard vary. Neither declare is true.
Most individuals are accustomed to methods to decrease blood strain and say they might take these steps if a physician really useful them—however fewer say they really take these steps.
Most have no idea outline hypertension
Blood strain is a measure of the strain within the arteries when the center beats. Blood strain is acknowledged as a pair of numbers—the higher quantity, or systolic strain, exhibits the strain when the center beats (as measured in millimeters of mercury, mm Hg) and the decrease quantity, or diastolic strain, represents the resting strain in between heartbeats, the American Coronary heart Affiliation (AHA) says. In 2017, the AHA and the American Faculty of Cardiology redefined hypertension as 130/80 mm Hg, reducing it from the prior cutoff of 140/90.
Hypertension, in line with the CDC, was a main or contributing reason for over 685,000 deaths in the USA in 2022.
Within the survey, 35% of respondents report having been identified with hypertension and 69% of respondents report having a member of the family aside from themselves with this situation.
Regardless of the prevalence of this continual situation, few individuals can outline what constitutes hypertension. Respondents had been supplied with 5 attainable units of numbers and requested which represents the onset of hypertension. Almost 1 in 4 (24%) respondents say they aren’t positive at what level a blood strain studying is taken into account excessive. Individuals who report having hypertension are extra assured about their data of the cutoff (simply 10% will not be positive), in contrast with these with out the prognosis (32% unsure).
1 / 4 of respondents (25%) selected the previous, pre-2017 cutoff of 140/90 and over; 16% selected over 140/80; 18% selected over 130/90; and 13% opted for the proper, present definition of over 130/80.
What individuals get incorrect and proper about hypertension
The survey finds {that a} important variety of individuals get two consequential claims about hypertension incorrect and one proper:
Many do not know it is sometimes a “silent” sickness: Over a 3rd of individuals (37%) incorrectly say that somebody with hypertension almost all the time has noticeable signs like dizziness or shortness of breath. The CDC says hypertension “typically has no signs or symptoms,” as 39% of survey respondents know, together with half of these with hypertension (50%) however fewer of these (33%) with out the prognosis. The American Coronary heart Affiliation says that the same old absence of signs is why hypertension is called “the silent killer.”
Feeling calm and relaxed just isn’t an indication: Almost 4 in 10 individuals (39%) incorrectly say “feeling calm and relaxed” is a sign that your blood strain is within the regular vary. That is false, as 53% of these with hypertension however simply 40% of these with out hypertension know. Seventeen p.c will not be positive if that is true.
If it runs within the household: Most individuals (80%) precisely know that if hypertension runs in your loved ones, it is false to say there’s nothing you are able to do to successfully scale back it.
Supply: Annenberg Science and Public Well being (ASAPH) Survey, April 2025. Credit score: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart
Most know steps to decrease hypertension
Generally, Individuals know which actions can and can’t assist to decrease your blood strain. Requested which of the next would decrease blood strain, the overwhelming majority of respondents chosen the proper solutions and only a few chosen the wrong ones:
Sustaining a wholesome weight (91%)
Commonly exercising (89%)
Watching what you eat to keep up a wholesome nutritious food regimen (89%)
Taking remedy (84%)
Decreasing salt consumption (82%)
Consuming espresso (false) (3%)
Commonly consuming alcohol (false) (2%)
“The high level of public knowledge about the habits that reduce blood pressure is heartening and a tribute to the health care providers and public health agencies that have centered this health indicator in the national consciousness,” stated APPC analysis analyst Laura A. Gibson.
How seemingly do individuals say they’re to have interaction in wholesome behaviors?
The overwhelming majority of these surveyed say that if their physician or well being care supplier really useful the next actions to regulate hypertension, they’re “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to do them or “already do them regularly”:
Watching what they eat to keep up wholesome vitamin (92%)
Limiting salt consumption (88%)
Exercising recurrently (88%)
Attending to and sustaining a wholesome weight (88%)
Monitoring their blood strain readings (87%)
Taking blood strain remedy (79%)
Treatment. Considerably extra individuals who report having been identified with hypertension (93%) say they take or could be more likely to take blood strain remedy if really useful by a physician, in contrast with 72% who don’t have hypertension. This matches what individuals who have hypertension report truly doing: Amongst these whose docs say they want it, 90% say they take remedy every day. The commonest purpose the opposite 10% say they don’t take it every day is that they do not assume doing so is important.
Monitoring blood strain. Evaluating individuals with hypertension with those that don’t have it, there isn’t any distinction in whether or not they say they might be more likely to monitor their blood strain if it’s endorsed by a physician—87% of each teams stated they might achieve this. Amongst these with hypertension, 10% say they monitor it every day or almost so, 19% as soon as or a number of occasions per week, and 27% as soon as or a number of occasions a month. The AHA advises blood strain monitoring at house on the similar time every day and speaking “with your health care professional about how often to take your blood pressure.”
Weight-reduction plan and train. There isn’t any important distinction between these with and with out hypertension within the share of those that would train recurrently (or at the moment do) to regulate hypertension at a physician’s advice—85% with hypertension say they might and 90% of these with out the prognosis say they might. Neither is there a big distinction amongst those that say they might be more likely to (or do) watch what they eat to keep up wholesome vitamin (93% with hypertension vs. 91% with out). And the proportion who say they might be more likely to get to and keep a wholesome weight can be the identical, 88% for each teams.
Wholesome behaviors individuals say they might do and what they at the moment do
Though 88–92% of these within the common inhabitants say they’re more likely to train recurrently and watch what they eat to assist their well being, solely 57–72% report truly partaking in these behaviors greater than as soon as per week.
The next proportions say they have interaction in every of the next wholesome behaviors greater than as soon as per week:
Watching what they eat to assist their well being (72%)
Exercising recurrently (61%)
Limiting salt consumption (57%)
Watching what you eat. The frequency with which U.S. adults say they watch what they eat is statistically the identical for each teams (73% of these with a hypertension prognosis report watching what they eat greater than as soon as per week vs. 70% of those that report no prognosis).
Participating in bodily exercise. The frequency with which individuals report partaking in bodily exercise or train is statistically the identical amongst individuals who do and don’t report having a prognosis of hypertension.
Salt consumption. The frequency with which individuals say they restrict their salt consumption differs by hypertension prognosis (69% of these with a prognosis restrict salt greater than as soon as per week vs. 51% of those that report not having been identified).
APPC’s Annenberg science and public well being data survey
The survey knowledge come from the twenty fourth wave of a nationally consultant panel of 1,653 U.S. adults carried out for the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart by SSRS, an unbiased market analysis firm. Most have been empaneled since April 2021. To account for attrition, replenishment samples have been added over time utilizing a random likelihood sampling design. The latest replenishment, in September 2024, added 360 respondents to the pattern.
This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Well being (ASAPH) survey was fielded April 15–28, 2025. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is ± 3.4 share factors on the 95% confidence degree. All figures are rounded to the closest complete quantity and will not add to 100%. Mixed subcategories could not add to totals within the topline and textual content because of rounding.
The coverage heart has been monitoring the American public’s data, beliefs, and behaviors relating to vaccination, COVID-19, flu, RSV, and different consequential well being points via this survey panel for 4 years. Along with Gibson and Jamieson, APPC’s staff on the survey contains analysis analyst Shawn Patterson Jr., Ken Winneg, managing director of survey analysis, and APPC director Kathleen Corridor Jamieson.
Extra info:
Obtain the topline and the strategies report.
Supplied by
Annenberg Public Coverage Heart of the College of Pennsylvania
Quotation:
Many Individuals unaware hypertension normally has no noticeable signs (2025, June 6)
retrieved 7 June 2025
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