1.71 billion adults had hypertension in 2020, and low income countries lagged badly

Control improved in rich countries, but not where needed

An analysis finds 1.71 billion adults worldwide lived with hypertension in 2020, with the burden concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. While high-income nations improved blood pressure control, poorer countries saw far weaker progress—widening a gap in preventing and managing a condition strongly linked to heart disease and early death.