Half of People With High Blood Pressure Don't Know It

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is common around the world and the leading cause of heart disease, but many people are unaware that they have it, a new study shows. The international team of researchers noted that this is true for wealthy, developed nations as well as low-income countries. And despite the availability of drugs to control high blood pressure, many people who do know they have the condition are not being properly treated. "Blood pressure-lowering drugs are generally inexpensive and commonly available treatments," senior study author Dr. Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, said in a university news release. "However, only a third of patients commenced on treatment are on enough treatment to control their blood pressure. This is worst in low-income countries, but significant in high- and middle-income countries, too." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_140317.html