Nearly 6 in 10 people with high blood pressure don’t know they have it
A study by Oxford Population Health reveals that nearly 60% of adults with high blood pressure in England are undiagnosed. The research highlights significant gaps in detection and treatment efficacy across different age groups and genders.
Why it matters
Undiagnosed hypertension is a leading cause of preventable death, and these findings suggest a critical need for improved public health screening and management strategies.
Researchers at Oxford Population Health have found that high blood pressure is going undetected or remains poorly controlled in a large share of adults in England.
The team examined blood pressure readings taken in clinics as part of Our Future Health, the UK's largest health research program. Participants joined the program between 2022 and 2025. The results suggest that hypertension remains widely undiagnosed, untreated, or inadequately managed, even though it is a major contributor to stroke, heart disease, and premature death.
How Researchers Defined High Blood Pressure
The researchers used World Health Organization criteria to identify hypertension. A participant was considered to have high blood pressure if their systolic blood pressure was 140 mmHg or greater, their diastolic blood pressure was 90 mmHg or greater, or they were taking blood pressure lowering medication.
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