Control of hypertension among adults--National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2005-2008.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and approximately 1 million heart attacks and 700,000 strokes occur annually. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke; the unadjusted prevalence of hypertension among U.S. adults aged ≥18 years is approximately 31% (representing 68 million adults), and hypertension increases with age to approximately 70% among persons aged ≥65 years. Hypertension contributes to one out of every seven deaths in the United States, and approximately 70% of persons who have a first heart attack or stroke or who have heart failure have hypertension. In clinical trials, treatment of hypertension was associated with substantial reductions in stroke incidence (35%-40%), myocardial infarction (20%-25%), and heart failure (>50%). The estimated annual direct costs of hypertension are approximately $69.9 billion, and the estimated annual indirect costs are $23.6 billion.