New findings from a global meta-analysis show that the prevalence of hypertension continues to rise worldwide amid significant regional differences.

According to the study, which covered the period from 2000 to 2020 and was based on data from more than 6 million adults across 119 countries, around 1.7 billion people had elevated blood pressure in 2020 — approximately 33% of the world’s adult population.

The results were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Over these 20 years, marked regional disparities were observed: in high-income countries, the age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension slightly declined by around 2–3%, whereas in low- and middle-income countries it increased by nearly 6%. In absolute numbers, this translates into hundreds of millions of additional people living with hypertension, mainly in developing countries.

The researchers emphasize that the 2000–2020 period demonstrates a persistent global increase in the overall number of patients despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment in certain regions.

At the same time, blood pressure control remains insufficient: a significant proportion of people either are unaware of their condition or do not receive adequate therapy.

The authors conclude that hypertension remains the leading preventable risk factor for premature mortality worldwide and requires stronger prevention programs and greater access to treatment, especially in resource-limited countries.