Untreated Hypertension: Millions Eligible for BP Meds Could Save Lives
A study using NHANES data and the latest AHA/ACC guidelines finds about 23 million U.S. adults would be newly eligible for blood pressure–lowering drugs; of these, roughly 9.7 million (43%) aren’t receiving any treatment. If all eligible individuals took the meds, roughly 200,000 deaths from any cause and 162,000 cardiovascular deaths could be prevented over the next decade. While lifestyle changes remain important, the results highlight a sizable treatment gap and the potential life-saving impact of expanding pharmacologic therapy under the PREVENT risk-prediction framework.
