Young adults, particularly men, lag behind middle-aged and older adults in awareness and treatment of high blood pressure, putting this population at an increased risk for heart attack and stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Hypertension.
High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke and is also a significant public health burden, costing the United States about $110 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2015, according to AHA estimates. AHA guidelines define blood pressure as normal at less than 120/80 and high blood pressure as 140/90 or above.