High Blood Pressure

Indicator Definition
Percent of adults (ages 18–64 years) who have been told by a doctor, nurse or other health professional they have high blood pressure (excludes gestational hypertension).

Adults with hypertension in Colorado3*

Adults with hypertension by gender in Colorado4

Indicator Significance
Hypertension or high-blood pressure affects one in four Americans over age 18. Hypertension is a gateway to other life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and renal failure. It is the main factor in kidney distress and is a leading cause of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Obesity and diabetes increase the risk of hypertension, which is preventable by maintaining a healthy weight, staying active and refraining from tobacco products. For some individuals, medication may be necessary to lower hypertension and should be taken in accordance with a doctor’s advice.¹

Colorado Specifics
Compared to other states, Colorado fares well in the self-reported incidence of hypertension among working-age adults, ranking third after Utah and Minnesota. Colorado’s rate for adults is 16 percent, which is equal to the Healthy People 2010 target for persons age 20 and older. Because the incidence of hypertension increases with age, the rate for older Coloradans probably exceeds the Healthy People 2010 target. The small changes in the reported incidence of hypertension in recent years are not statistically significant. Working-age men have a higher rate of hypertension than do working-age women (19 percent vs. 14 percent).

Promising Initiatives
LiveWell Weld County is a broad-based coalition funded by LiveWell Colorado. The intervention is a five-year project focused on healthy eating, physical activity and smoking cessation to positively affect high blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health. LiveWell Weld County focuses on cardiovascular health through the Heart of Weld Project which seeks to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease among low-income women ages 40 to 64 years who are under- or uninsured.²

Regular screenings include height, weight and blood pressure measurements and cholesterol and glucose monitoring. Women identified as moderate-to-high risk for developing heart disease are encouraged to enroll in a lifestyle intervention program. All screenings and the lifestyle intervention program are provided to eligible women without cost.

Adults with hypertension⁵

Color coding: Statistical tests were used to determine if the average for Colorado was significantly different than the averages for other states. States with a medium shade of orange had averages that were not statistically different from Colorado’s average and states colored in a light shade of orange had averages that were statistically different from Colorado’s average.

Text

1. National High Blood Pressure Education Program. “Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure: Mission Possible.”
   
2. LiveWell Weld County.
   

Charts

3. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001–2007.
   
   * Note: Data not available for 2004 and 2006 because the question used for this indicator was not included in the survey for those years.
   
   
4. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   
5. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.