Almost half of American adults at risk for heart attack and stroke due to high blood pressure express little concern about such outcomes, according to a survey conducted by the American Medical Association and American Heart Association.
Surveyors sent an online questionnaire to 1,001 adults, 38 percent of whom were diagnosed with high BP.
Four takeaways from the survey, according to AMA:
1. Only 57 percent of people with a high BP diagnosis think medication could help their condition. In reality, medication can help lower high BP.
2. Only 35 percent of those with high BP worry about their condition; only 22 percent say managing their BP is a top priority. This suggests further education is needed on the condition's consequences.
3. Forty-two percent of Americans overall do not know their most recent BP measurements. Those with high BP fare even worse: 27 percent do not remember their numbers.
4. Only 36 percent of all respondents, and 44 percent with high BP, were familiar with which number ranges are considered high or low for BP.