More than 25 million Brits now have high blood pressure - but most have no idea

More than 25 million Brits now have high blood pressure - but most have no idea The biggest ever study of its kind shows 37% of adults in England now have high blood pressure but, prior to the trial, 59% were unaware — and were getting no treatment for the "silent killer" More than 25 million Brits are at risk of heart attacks and strokes due to high blood pressure, new research suggests. The world ’s largest research programme of its kind has found 37% of adults in England have high blood pressure - with 59% of them completely unaware of their condition. If similar rates have it across the UK it suggests almost 26 million Brits are living with the “silent killer”. The study of 1.2 million people found only half of people who have been diagnosed have their hypertension under control and researchers have dubbed their NHS care “not fit for purpose”. Analysis by Oxford University showed more than one in seven under-40s have high blood pressure, which increases their risk of heart attacks and strokes. The research team criticised current NHS practice of not prescribing blood pressure drugs straight away when someone is diagnosed. Lead author Wenyu Liu, a medical statistician, said: "While hypertension is largely a silent killer', the current approach to detecting and treating high blood pressure is not fit for purpose. “This isn’t a problem confined to a particular group, it is substantial across almost every demographic we examined. Even among younger adults, who currently aren’t eligible for an NHS Health Check, over 15% already had high blood pressure. This underscores the need for population-wide prevention strategies.” The authors said current guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) mean many people with high blood pressure are never picked up, treated, or go on to have good blood pressure control. Nice recommends measuring blood pressure for a period of time or at home to confirm diagnosis prior to initiating treatment, "and recommends lifestyle advice before the initiation of treatment", they said. The team said: "These requirements may contribute to a `leaky cascade of care', with many cases of hypertension remaining undiagnosed and inadequately treated.” The Our Future Health study is enrolling millions of Brits to monitor them for all health conditions such as dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With eventually up to five million volunteers right across the UK, the goal is to create one of the most detailed pictures ever of human health. The team said that despite substantial improvements in high blood pressure detection and control during the 2000s, progress has flatlined since around 2011 and started to get worse since the Covid-19 pandemic. Professor Bryan Williams, chief medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: "The worrying reality is that millions of people are still living with the condition without knowing it and missing opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment. Better detection and treatment could help tens of thousands of people to avoid a preventable heart attack and stroke. "But to achieve this, we will need to rethink how we identify, treat and support those at risk so that blood pressure checks and effective treatment can benefit everyone." Hypertension is defined by the World Health Organisation as systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or greater, diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or greater, or use of blood pressure-lowering medication. The study showed 15% of people aged 18 to 39 years have hypertension and this increased to 71% in those aged over 80. Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: "Someone in the UK has a stroke every five minutes, with around half being due to high blood pressure. Everyone should check their blood pressure regularly - not just older people." A spokesman for Nice said: "The Nice guideline provides a clear blueprint for reducing heart attacks and strokes by improving the detection and treatment of high blood pressure. "It recommends confirming raised blood pressure readings taken in a clinic using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) or home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) before diagnosing hypertension. This is in line with European Society of Cardiology guidance and helps ensure people get the right diagnosis and the right treatment. "One of the guideline's key messages is that earlier action matters. High blood pressure often causes no symptoms, but over time it can increase the risk of serious conditions such as heart attack and stroke. "Earlier treatment, alongside lifestyle changes, can help people stay healthier for longer. The guideline does not recommend delaying treatment while people try lifestyle changes alone. Instead, it supports lifestyle advice alongside medicines where these are needed.”