Rates of hypertension have been climbing in the U.S. in recent years, according to an analysis by Blue Cross Blue Shield, and they’re growing fastest among millennials and adults in their mid-thirties and forties.
Considering more than 200 health conditions, BCBS reported last year that hypertension had the single greatest impact on quality of life and longevity for commercially insured Americans. It’s estimated to affect 22 of every 100 people in the country, beating out major depression, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease and diabetes as the hardest-hitting illness.
According to the BCBS Health Index, people with hypertension are 2.7 times more likely to develop high cholesterol, 3.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with CAD than the general American population. They’re also 5 times more likely to experience a stroke or heart failure.
The report states more men than women in the U.S. have hypertension in the (24% vs. 20%, respectively), putting them at a greater risk for other cardiovascular conditions. People in rural counties are also more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension.
BCBS analysts noted millennials—individuals aged 18-34—saw the fastest growth in hypertension diagnoses between 2014 and 2016. Five percent of millennials with hypertension rose to 6% by 2016, resulting in a total growth rate of 19%. The second-highest increase—an 11% jump—was observed among those aged 35-44, while people aged 55-64 saw the slowest growth.
Although millennials experienced the quickest incline in diagnoses, they’re the only age group considered that didn’t see a concomitant decrease in the cost to treat hypertension. Young people spent $194 on average to treat their hypertension in both 2014 and 2016, while costs to treat among all other age groups declined over the two-year period.
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After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.