High blood pressure, also called hypertension, affects nearly half of all adults in the United States. It’s a serious health problem that can quietly damage the body for years without noticeable symptoms. According to the American Heart Association, it greatly increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and other life-threatening conditions.
Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. The systolic number (the top number) shows the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The diastolic number (the bottom number) shows the pressure when your heart is resting between beats. Based on guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, a reading of 130/80 or higher is considered high.
In a new study from Rutgers University, researchers looked at health data collected over two decades, from 1999 to 2018, through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study focused on more than 13,000 people who were already taking medication to treat high blood pressure. Despite being on treatment, 34% of them still had uncontrolled hypertension.
The researchers dug deeper and found some interesting patterns based on age and gender. For example, younger men in their 20s and 30s were much more likely than women of the same age to have uncontrolled high blood pressure, even while taking medicine. The difference was greatest during their 30s. By their 40s, men were still 47% more likely to have uncontrolled blood pressure compared to women.
But after age 50, the gender gap started to shrink. Then, the pattern reversed in older adults. Among people aged 70 and older, women became 29% more likely than men to have uncontrolled blood pressure. For women aged 80 and up, the gap grew even more: they were 63% more likely to struggle with high blood pressure despite treatment.
These findings highlight a hidden problem. Many people—especially young men and older women—may not be getting the full benefit of their blood pressure medications.
The reasons for this aren’t yet fully understood, and more research is needed to figure out what’s going wrong. It could be related to differences in how men and women respond to medication, hormone changes with age, or even how consistently people take their medicine.
The study also reminds us that certain people are more at risk for developing high blood pressure in the first place. These risk factors include getting older, having a family history of hypertension, being part of certain racial or ethnic groups (like African Americans and Hispanic Americans), and having other health conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease.
Lifestyle habits—like eating salty food, not exercising, being overweight, smoking, or dealing with ongoing stress—can also play a big role.
One of the most dangerous things about high blood pressure is that it often has no symptoms. Many people don’t even know they have it until something serious happens. That’s why regular blood pressure checks are so important, especially if you have any risk factors.
If you’re concerned about your blood pressure, talk to a doctor. Managing it may involve eating a heart-healthy diet, staying active, finding ways to reduce stress, avoiding tobacco, and sticking to your prescribed medications. Taking care of your blood pressure is one of the best ways to protect your heart and live a longer, healthier life.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and people with severe high blood pressure should reduce coffee intake.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
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