Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Hypertension in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the deadliest health risk factor worldwide, contributing to more deaths than air pollution, smoking, and obesity. In 2021, it was estimated that almost 11 million deaths worldwide could be attributed to high blood pressure. Hypertension is often called the silent killer because it usually does not show any symptoms, and therefore often goes undetected, but greatly increases the risk of deadly conditions such as heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1.28 billion adults aged 30 to 79 have hypertension worldwide, with 46 percent unaware they have the condition.
