{"id":25673,"date":"2025-06-10T16:59:58","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T16:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=25673"},"modified":"2025-06-10T16:59:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T16:59:59","slug":"survey-finds-misconceptions-about-high-blood-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/survey-finds-misconceptions-about-high-blood-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey Finds Misconceptions About High Blood Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Nearly one-third of Americans believe high blood pressure has noticeable symptoms like dizziness \u2014 a dangerous misconception. Learn more about this common but often misunderstood health condition and ways to manage it.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects nearly half of adults in the United States and is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Despite its prevalence, a recent health survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) reveals that many Americans remain dangerously misinformed about the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The survey, conducted among 1,653 U.S. adults in April 2025, found that 35% have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, with two-thirds of this group expressing concern over their condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, only 13% of respondents could correctly identify the current threshold for high blood pressure, defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as 130\/80 mm Hg or higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Because controlling blood pressure reduces one\u2019s risk of serious health problems, including heart attacks and strokes, correcting misperceptions about ways to identify it should be a public health priority,&#8221; Patrick E. Jamieson, director of the policy center\u2019s Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute, said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An alarming finding from the survey is that over a third of Americans incorrectly believe that high blood pressure nearly always presents with noticeable symptoms such as dizziness and shortness of breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This myth contrasts sharply with the reality; the CDC asserts that high blood pressure typically has no signs or symptoms, earning it the nickname &#8220;the silent killer.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adding to the misconceptions, nearly 4 in 10 respondents mistakenly think that feeling calm and relaxed is an indication of normal blood pressure levels. This misbelief is particularly perilous, as it can prevent individuals from seeking timely medical intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these gaps in knowledge, the survey showed that most Americans are aware of effective strategies to lower blood pressure. Respondents correctly identified measures such as maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise and reducing salt intake as ways to manage the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Encouragingly, high levels of reported willingness to adopt these measures if recommended by a doctor were found across the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe high level of public knowledge about the habits that reduce blood pressure is heartening and a tribute to the health care providers and public health agencies that have centered this health indicator in the national consciousness,\u201d added APPC research analyst\u00a0Laura A. Gibson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The urgency of accurate knowledge and proactive management of high blood pressure cannot be overstated. High blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of over 685,000 deaths in the United States in 2022. Furthermore, the American Heart Association (AHA) advises regular home monitoring of blood pressure at the same time each day, in consultation with health care professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The APPC&#8217;s findings underscore the need for continuous public education to dispel harmful myths and promote effective management of high blood pressure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, the sobering statistics from this survey should prompt further efforts from health care providers and public health campaigns to ensure that correct information reaches a broader audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:12px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org\/many-americans-unaware-high-blood-pressure-usually-has-no-noticeable-symptoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects nearly half of adults in the United States and is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Despite its prevalence, a recent health survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) reveals that many Americans remain dangerously misinformed about the condition. The survey, conducted among 1,653 U.S. adults [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[388],"class_list":["post-25673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-university-of-pennsylvania"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects nearly half of adults in the United States and is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Despite its prevalence, a recent health survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) reveals that many Americans remain dangerously misinformed about the condition. The survey, conducted among 1,653 U.S. adults&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25673"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25725,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25673\/revisions\/25725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}