For the first time in history, high blood pressure is more common in lower-income countries

Nearly one-third of the adult population worldwide had hypertension in 2010. For the first time in history, high blood pressure is more common in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Three-quarters of the world's adults with hypertension live in low- and middle-income countries and may lack access to proper care. From 2000 to 2010, high blood pressure prevalence decreased in high-income countries while increasing in low- and middle-income countries.