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U.S.
Adults knowledgeable about High Blood
Pressure, but few realize its relationship
to Heart Attack and Stroke…Survey
results particularly important during
February American Heart Month
ATLANTA, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/
-- Most Americans say they are knowledgeable
about high blood pressure, but less than 50
percent know that it's associated with heart
attack and stroke, a survey by the National
Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD)
has found.
The survey found that
72 percent of Americans are aware of the
multiple factors contributing to high blood
pressure, including obesity, lack of
exercise, salt intake and alcohol
consumption. Yet, only 42 percent associate
high blood pressure with stroke and heart
attack.
High blood pressure is
a major risk factor for heart disease, but
it can be controlled through medication,
diet and exercise, according to the American
Heart Association.
The survey also found
that 76 percent of Americans are not worried
about getting high blood pressure, and that
80 percent of Americans 55 and over also are
not concerned. High blood pressure mostly
affects middle age and older Americans.
"Only 24 percent of
survey respondents are worried about getting
high blood pressure," said John Robitscher,
NACDD executive director.
"But according to
the American Heart Association,
approximately 33 percent of Americans have
the condition. In essence, about 20 million
American adults are not worried about
getting high blood pressure, but are likely
to develop it."
David P. Hoffman,
director, Bureau of Chronic Disease
Services, New York State Department of
Health, said there is a lack of federal
funding for heart disease and stroke
prevention, even though heart disease is the
nation's No. 1 killer.
"Only 34 states and the
District of Columbia receive federal funds
for heart disease and stroke prevention. The
rest must rely on state funding and other
resources."
Unlike many conditions,
high blood pressure has no symptoms,
according to the AHA. In fact, many people
have high blood pressure for years without
knowing it.
Uncontrolled high
blood pressure can also lead to heart
attack, stroke, heart failure or kidney
failure. This is why high blood pressure is
often called the "silent killer."
High blood pressure is
particularly prevalent in African Americans,
middle-aged and elderly people, obese
people, heavy drinkers and women taking
birth control pills. It may run in families,
but many people with a strong family history
never develop it. The only way to tell if
you have high blood pressure is to have your
blood pressure checked regularly.
Among other survey
findings:
-- Nearly four in 10
Americans (38 percent) say they do not know
their blood pressure reading, and
surprisingly, more than one in 5 (22
percent) of older Americans do no know their
personal readings.
-- Nearly one in four
Americans (24 percent) report being
diagnosed with high blood pressure, compared
to 37 percent for African-Americans.
Two-thirds of African-Americans have high
blood pressure, according to the AHA. The
condition strikes African-Americans 10 years
earlier than whites.
-- Most
African-Americans know that they have the
highest risk for high blood pressure of all
racial and ethnic groups, but 76 percent
without high blood pressure say they are not
worried about getting it in the future.
-- More than four in
five Americans (85 percent) with high blood
pressure take prescription medication to
control it; only 10 percent use diet and
exercise alone, while 4 percent do nothing.
-- In general, Americans
over-estimate the prevalence of high blood
pressure. On average, Americans think 48
percent of the public has it.
-- Most Americans (77
percent) believe that high blood pressure is
rising among children and teens. This
confirms recent studies showing that after
decades of decline, blood pressure levels in
children and adolescents are increasing.
The studies, including one
published in the September 2007 issue of
Circulation: Journal of the American Heart
Association, suggest a
link between blood pressure increases and
the recent jump in childhood obesity.
The "Americans and
Blood Pressure Survey: A Survey of Americans
and Their Knowledge Regarding High Blood
Pressure" was conducted by TSC, a division
of Yankelovich, Inc. for NACDD. The survey
was conducted by telephone within the U.S.
between Jan. 3 and 6, 2008, among 1,018
adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age,
sex, race/ethnicity and region were weighted
to ensure reliable and accurate
representation of the total U.S. adult
population. The margin of error for this
study was +/-3.1 percent.
About
NACDD
The National
Association of Chronic Disease Directors is
a national public health association,
founded in 1988 to link the chronic disease
program directors of each state and U.S.
territory to provide a national forum for
chronic disease prevention and control
efforts. NACDD provides state-based
leadership and expertise for chronic disease
prevention and control at the state and
national level. Further information about
NACDD is available at www.chronicdisease.org.
Source:
National Association of Chronic Disease
Directors
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