U.S. Surgeon General urges Americans to monitor and control high blood pressure

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy delivered a public service announcement about high blood pressure, saying the condition affects nearly half of U.S. adults and is a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, vision loss and kidney disease. He noted that only about one in four adults with hypertension have it under control and emphasized that disparities exist, with Hispanic, Black and Asian American individuals having lower rates of blood pressure control than white individuals.

Dr. Murthy highlighted the 2020 Surgeon General's ‘‘call to action’’ to make blood pressure control a national priority and pointed to federal partnerships, including work by the Office of Minority Health and the Health Resources and Services Administration with the American Heart Association to launch the National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI). He recommended actions individuals can take: monitor blood pressure at home (noting some monitors can cost as little as $10 and self-checks take about five minutes), talk with a trusted health care professional about treatment, ask about medication assistance programs, and adopt lifestyle changes such as reducing sodium and alcohol, quitting smoking, exercising regularly and managing stress.

The Surgeon General encouraged people to use NHCI resources, including a tool to locate community health centers and the NHCI website (nhci.heart.org) for additional information. He framed hypertension as a common but solvable problem and urged building community support for managing blood pressure to improve heart health.