A new report by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found 1 in 3 adults have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
And 80% of adults do not control their blood pressure or high cholesterol, despite having health insurance and access to low-cost treatment.
High blood pressure and high cholesterol are major risk factors for heart disease. Every year 785,000 U.S. adults have their first heart attack, another 470,000 have their second (or more) heart attack; according to previous CDC data.
The new report, appearing in Vital Signs, also found 1 in 3 adults do not get treatment for high blood pressure; 1 in 2 adults do not have their blood pressure under control; 1 in 3 adults do not get treatment for high cholesterol; and 2 in 3 adults do not have their high cholesterol under control.
A spokesperson for the CDC says we are failing to prevent cardiovascular disease, which is the number one cause of death in the U.S., more attention needs to be on prevention and better educating people.
LDL cholesterol - or "bad" cholesterol - should be less than 160 in otherwise healthy people. Blood pressure should be less than 120 over 80. The CDC says anything higher than 140 over 90 requires intervention.
Heart disease deaths vary from race to race. In 2004, CDC data revealed African Americans are more likely to die from heart disease (25.8% of deaths) than Hispanics and whites, with 22.7% and 27.5% respectively.
According to the American Heart Association, poor diet, high salt intake, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and not taking prescribed medications are all risk factors for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
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