Hypertension Misconceptions & Awareness: A 2025 Survey

The study, conducted among 1,653 empaneled united state adults from April 15-28, 2025, discovers that over a 3rd think improperly that high blood pressure nearly constantly has noticeable signs like wooziness and shortness of breath (it does not). And nearly 4 in 10 claim inaccurately that feeling calm and kicked back is an indication that your blood pressure remains in a normal variety (it isn’t).

Common Hypertension Misconceptions

Over a 3rd of Americans believe that high blood pressure nearly constantly has visible signs and symptoms like wooziness and lack of breath and almost 4 in 10 claim that feeling tranquility and kicked back is an indicator your blood pressure remains in a normal variety. Neither insurance claim holds true.

High blood pressure is a procedure of the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. High blood pressure is stated as a set of numbers– the upper number, or systolic pressure, shows the pressure when the heart beats (as gauged in millimeters of mercury, mm Hg) and the lower number, or diastolic pressure, stands for the resting pressure in between heart beats, the American Heart Association (AHA) says. In 2017, the AHA and the American College of Cardiology redefined high blood pressure as 130/80 mm Hg, lowering it from the prior cutoff of 140/90.

Redefining High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension, which can lead to heart attack and stroke, both leading reasons of death in the United States, is one of the most prevalent persistent diseases in America, affecting nearly fifty percent of grownups. In a recent Annenberg Public Policy Facility (APPC) wellness survey, 35% of participants report having been detected with hypertension and two-thirds of this group claim they’re rather or very concerned regarding having hypertension.

The study finds that few U.S. grownups– consisting of those who have actually been identified with high blood stress– can properly recognize what blood pressure reading medical professionals take into consideration “high.” An analysis of 130/80 mm Hg or over is thought about high, according to the united state Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and simply over 1 in 8 Americans know this.

Simply 13% of Americans can determine the blood pressure reading that signifies high blood pressure– 130/80 mm Hg or over– yet more inaccurately assume it is 140/90, an earlier cutoff factor that was reduced by cardiologists in 2017. Virtually a quarter of Americans do not recognize which reading indicates high blood pressure.

Awareness of High Blood Pressure

Regardless of these typical misunderstandings, the survey discovers that a huge bulk of U.S. grownups recognizes with steps that can aid to reduced hypertension– and they’re recognized both to people with high blood pressure and those who have not been diagnosed with it.

Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) respondents state they are not sure at what factor a blood pressure analysis is taken into consideration high. Individuals who report having high blood pressure are much more positive about their understanding of the cutoff (just 10% are not certain), contrasted with those without the medical diagnosis (32% not sure).

Really feeling calm and loosened up is not an indication: Nearly 4 in 10 people (39%) inaccurately claim “sensation calm and unwinded” is an indicator that your blood pressure remains in the typical range. This is false, as 53% of those with high blood pressure but just 40% of those without hypertension know. Seventeen percent are uncertain if this is true.

Because controlling blood pressure decreases one’s danger of severe illness, consisting of heart attacks and strokes, fixing misperceptions regarding methods to recognize it must be a public health and wellness top priority.”

Numerous do not know it’s commonly a “silent” ailment: Over a third of individuals (37%) incorrectly say that a person with hypertension almost constantly has obvious signs like dizziness or shortness of breath. The CDC says hypertension “commonly has no signs or indicators,” as 39% of survey respondents understand, including half of those with hypertension (50%) however fewer of those (33%) without the medical diagnosis. The American Heart Association states that the common lack of symptoms is why hypertension is referred to as “the silent killer.”

Actions to Lower Hypertension

Generally, Americans understand which activities can and can not aid to lower your high blood pressure. Asked which of the following would certainly reduce high blood pressure, the huge majority of respondents chosen the appropriate answers and very few chosen the incorrect ones:

“The high level of public knowledge regarding the practices that reduce high blood pressure is heartening and a tribute to the health care carriers and public health and wellness companies that have focused this health sign in the national consciousness,” claimed APPC study analyst Laura A. Gibson.

The large bulk of those evaluated state that if their medical professional or healthcare supplier advised the adhering to actions to control high blood pressure, they are “somewhat likely” or “most likely” to do them or “currently do them routinely”:

Diet and workout. There is no significant distinction in between those with and without hypertension in the percentage of those who would certainly exercise regularly (or currently do) to control high blood pressure at a doctor’s recommendation– 85% with hypertension claim they would certainly and 90% of those without the diagnosis state they would. Neither exists a significant difference among those that say they would be likely to (or do) enjoy what they consume to preserve healthy nourishment (93% with hypertension vs. 91% without). And the portion who say they would be likely to reach and maintain a healthy weight is likewise the same, 88% for both teams.

Diet and Exercise

Contrasting individuals with high blood stress with those who do not have it, there is no difference in whether they say they would certainly be likely to monitor their blood stress if it is suggested by a medical professional– 87% of both teams stated they would certainly do so. The AHA recommends blood pressure tracking at home at the exact same time each day and speaking “with your health and wellness care expert concerning exactly how frequently to take your blood stress.”

Significantly even more people who report having actually been diagnosed with high blood pressure (93%) say they take or would be likely to take blood pressure medicine if advised by a doctor, contrasted with 72% that do not have high blood stress. This matches what individuals who have high blood pressure record really doing: Amongst those whose medical professionals claim they require it, 90% claim they take drug daily.

88-92% of those in the basic populace state they are likely to work out regularly and see what they eat to sustain their wellness, just 57-72% record in fact involving in these habits more than once a week.

Taking part in exercise. The regularity with which people report participating in physical activity or exercise is statistically the very same among people that do and do not report having a medical diagnosis of hypertension.

Blood stress is specified as a pair of numbers– the upper number, or systolic pressure, reveals the stress when the heart beats (as gauged in millimeters of mercury, mm Hg) and the reduced number, or diastolic stress, represents the relaxing pressure in between heart beats, the American Heart Organization (AHA) claims. The CDC says high blood pressure “generally has no signs or signs,” as 39% of study respondents understand, consisting of fifty percent of those with high blood pressure (50%) yet fewer of those (33%) without the medical diagnosis. Significantly more individuals who report having actually been detected with high blood pressure (93%) say they take or would certainly be most likely to take blood stress medicine if suggested by a doctor, compared with 72% who do not have high blood stress. Comparing people with high blood pressure with those that do not have it, there is no distinction in whether they say they would be likely to monitor their blood pressure if it is advised by a physician– 87% of both teams stated they would do so. There is no substantial difference between those with and without high blood pressure in the portion of those who would certainly work out regularly (or presently do) to regulate high blood stress at a doctor’s suggestion– 85% with high blood stress say they would and 90% of those without the diagnosis claim they would certainly.

This wave of the Annenberg Scientific Research and Public Health And Wellness (ASAPH) survey was fielded April 15-28, 2025. The margin of tasting mistake (MOE) is ± 3.4 percent factors at the 95% confidence level. All figures are rounded to the local whole number and may not add to 100%.

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Seeing what you eat. The regularity with which united state grownups say they view what they eat is statistically the same for both groups (73% of those with a hypertension diagnosis report seeing what they eat more than once a week vs. 70% of those that report no medical diagnosis).

Salt consumption. The regularity with which people state they restrict their salt intake differs by high blood pressure diagnosis (69% of those with a diagnosis limit salt greater than when a week vs. 51% of those who report not having actually been diagnosed).

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