Adults aging in North Carolina will maximize their independence and quality of life by improving mental health and self-management of their chronic diseases.
Percent of North Carolinians aged 65+ who reported being told by a health professional that they had high blood pressure
Current Value
64.3%
Definition
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the nation’s premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year, making it the largest continuously conducted health survey system in the world. This data is from responses to the following question on the BRFSS survey: Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional that you have high blood pressure? Detailed information and disaggregated data from the 2021 survey results can be found here.
Why Is This Important?
High blood pressure (or hypertension) is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the leading and fifth-leading causes of death, respectively. In 2019, more than 102,000 deaths were primarily attributable to high blood pressure.
High blood pressure often shows no signs or symptoms. Once diagnosed, however, it can be controlled through a combination of diet, exercise and medication. High blood pressure is influenced by risk factors that can be modified, such as smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet (eating foods high in sodium and low in potassium) and excessive alcohol use. Revised guidelines have lowered the cutoff for high blood pressure, which means that even more people may unknowingly have it.
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