QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged 20--64 Years with Hypertension Whose Condition Was Undiagnosed,* by Health Insurance Status† and Age Group --- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2005--2008

* Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or currently taking medication to lower blood pressure, based on positive responses to the following questions: "Because of your high blood pressure/hypertension have you ever been told to take prescribed medicine?" and "Are you now taking a prescribed medicine?" Undiagnosed hypertension was a finding of hypertension and a negative response to the following question: "Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had hypertension, also called high blood pressure?"

† Health insurance coverage is at the time of interview. Public coverage includes Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) state-sponsored or other government-sponsored health plan, Medicare (disability), or military health plan (TRICARE, VA, or CHAMP-VA). Persons with both public and private insurance coverage were included in the private coverage category only.

§ 95% confidence interval.

During 2005--2008, among U.S. adults aged 20--64 years with hypertension, 40% of those with no health insurance had hypertension that was undiagnosed, compared with 21% of those with private insurance and 16% of those with public insurance. In the 20--39 years and 40--64 years age groups, undiagnosed hypertension also was more common among persons with no health insurance compared with those with private or public insurance.

Sources: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005--2008 data. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm.

Schober SE, Makuc DM, Zhang C, Kennedy-Stephenson J, Burt V. Health insurance affects diagnosis and control of hypercholesterolemia and hypertension among adults aged 20--64: United States, 2005--2008. NCHS data brief no. 57. Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2011. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db57.pdf.

Alternate Text: The figure above shows the percentage of adults aged 20-64 years with hypertension whose condition was undiagnosed, by health insurance status and age group, in the United States during 2005-2008, based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. During 2005-2008, among U.S. adults aged 20-64 years with hypertension, 40% of those with no health insurance had hyperten-sion that was undiagnosed, compared with 21% of those with private insurance and 16% of those with public insurance. In the 20-39 years and 40-64 years age groups, undiagnosed hypertension also was more common among persons with no health insurance compared with those with private or public insurance.