Less than half (47%) of adults with hypertension are aware of their condition
One out of three adults in the world has hypertension
Hypertension is the leading risk factor for death and disability worldwide
A healthy diet and moderate exercise has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure significantly
A 10 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure reduces the risk of major cardiovascular diseases by approximately 30%
Why is hypertension important?
The answer is simple, hypertension (high blood pressure) is the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. More than 10 million individuals die every year due to hypertension.
What do we do?
We are committed to improving global hypertension prevention, screening, diagnosis, and management. Our main activities include building the evidence and developing educational materials in collaboration with partners from many countries (see map at right).
Latest Updates
Our team conducted two clinical trials to test the impact of arm position and surrounding noise on blood pressure readings.
The first study, ARMS, found that incorrect arm positions―either on the lap or hanging at the side―caused higher blood pressure readings compared to proper positioning on a desk at heart level. The second study, DECIBELS, found that taking blood pressure in noisy public places, like a food market, resulted in readings similar to those taken in a quiet private office. Together, these studies highlight that correct arm positioning matters more than having a perfectly quiet environment when measuring blood pressure.
The first study can be found here:
Arm Position and Blood Pressure Readings The ARMS Crossover Randomized Clinical Trial
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The second study can be found here:
Effects of Noise and Public Setting on Blood Pressure Readings: A Randomized Crossover Trial
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Research Prioritization for Hypertension Care Delivery
Johns Hopkins teamed with WHO and researchers around the world to conduct a series of webinars with the goal of identifying priorities for hypertension care delivery. The resulting publication can be found here:
Trial of WHO-HEARTS Package in Bangladesh
Johns Hopkins teamed with researchers at the National Heart Foundation in Bangladesh to conduct a trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the WHO HEARTS package. The results were published a BMJ journal, Heart, in July 2024.