Half of Americans have a ‘silent killer’ condition that kills more than CANCER

Nearly half of Americans suffer from a fatal medical condition that puts them at risk for heart attacks, strokes and dementia.

A new CDC report found that 47.7 percent of adults aged 18 and older had hypertension or high blood pressure between 2020 and 2023, which is about the same as the prevalence in the 2017-2020 CDC report.

Furthermore, about four in 10 adults don’t even know they have the condition, according to the CDC, meaning they don’t receive treatment and are therefore at much greater risk of fatal complications.

High blood pressure is a primary or contributing factor in more than 685,000 deaths per year in the US alone.

The findings mean the government is on course to fail in its target of reducing the prevalence of hypertension to 41 percent by 2030.

Women experienced a large increase: from 40 percent in the previous report to 45 percent this year.

People aged 18 to 39 had a prevalence of 23 percent. The prevalence was about 53 percent in people 40 to 59 years old and 72 percent in Americans 60 years and older.

While the prevalence in the older age groups decreased slightly, the younger age groups saw a slight increase.

This slight increase could be a contributing factor to the rise in stroke and cardiac events among young people.

According to a separate report from the CDC, stroke rates in Americans under 45 have increased by nearly 15 percent since 2011. The agency attributed the increase partly to a rise in high blood pressure, but also to a rise in obesity and drug addiction nationwide.

The Cleveland Clinic lists recreational drug use, an unhealthy diet and a sedentary lifestyle as risk factors for high blood pressure.

However, healthy and active people are not immune to high blood pressure.

Lebron James’ basketball star son Bronny James suffered cardiac arrest while playing basketball in 2023

Hall-of-famer Boston Celtics basketball player Reggie Lewis suffered cardiac arrest while playing basketball in 1993 and died at just 27

The latest CDC report found that 59 percent of people with hypertension were aware they had the condition and about half were taking medications to lower their blood pressure.

However, this varied greatly by age group. Only 27 percent of 18- to 39-year-olds were aware that they suffered from hypertension, compared to the 74 percent of people aged 60 and over who were aware of their condition.

As a result, treatment also varied. Only 14 percent of young people treated their hypertension, compared to 69 percent of seniors.

Despite the level of treatment, only 21 percent of all people got their blood pressure controlled to a healthy level.

The above graph shows the change in the prevalence of hypertension among all US adults, as well as men and women, from 1999 to 2023

The above map shows the prevalence of hypertension in counties across the US

There was no significant change in the percentage of people aware of, on treatment for, or in control of their hypertension observed in the 2017-2021 survey and the 2021-2023 survey.

Normally hypertension does not cause any symptoms. That’s why doctors call it a “silent killer,” according to the Cleveland Clinic, but if blood pressure exceeds 180/120 mmHg, a person may experience headaches, palpitations and nosebleeds.

A blood pressure of this level is considered a ‘hypertensive crisis’ and requires immediate medical attention.

According to the CDC, high blood pressure was the leading cause of approximately 685,900 deaths in the US in 2022.

Over time, high blood pressure can weaken the heart and blood vessels, which can cause cardiovascular disease, including sudden cardiac arrest, and increase the risk of stroke and dementia.

To treat hypertension, doctors will recommend lifestyle changes such as achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, reducing salt intake, limiting alcohol, exercising and making sure you get enough potassium, a mineral and electrolyte involved in important body processes. .