Cardiovascular Health Indicator
Measure: High Blood Pressure Prevalence

Analysis

From 2011 through 2017, Minnesota adults reported the lowest age-adjusted high blood pressure prevalence of any state in the country. Since 2019, Minnesota's rank has been tied for 2nd lowest among all states. Table 1 shows the trend from 2011 through 2021, with a small statistically significant increase in the percentage of adults reporting they have been told they have high blood pressure since 2017. An additional analysis of Minnesota adults with insurance coverage in 2014 showed similar rates of age-adjusted hypertension prevalence (25.4%). See the "Other Resources" tab for more detail on this analysis.

Medication can be prescribed to help lower blood pressure for people with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. In Minnesota in 2021, 78.4% of people who said they had high blood pressure also reported taking a blood pressure medication.

Table 1: High Blood Pressure Awareness, Minnesota Adults, 2011-2021

The percentage of adults who report being told that they have high blood pressure increases with age. Chart 1 and Table 2 show the overall prevalence of hypertension for Minnesota adults by age group in 2019. More than half of adults aged 65 or older report being told they have high blood pressure, compared to just one in twenty adults aged 18-24.

Chart 1: High Blood Pressure Awareness by Age Group, Minnesota Adults, 2021

Table 2: High Blood Pressure Awareness by Age Group, Minnesota Adults, 2021

In addition to differences by age group, there are differences in high blood pressure prevalence by sex, with more Minnesota men than women reporting being told they have high blood pressure in 2021, as shown in Table 3 below.

Table 3: High Blood Pressure Awareness by Sex, Minnesota Adults, 2021

As shown in Table 4, age-adjusted high blood pressure prevalence is highest for African American/African (32.7%) and American Indian (36.0%) adults in Minnesota. Asian and Hispanic adults have the lowest prevalence of hypertension, at 23.3% and 23.6% respectively.

Table 4: High Blood Pressure Awareness by Race/Ethnicity, Minnesota Adults, 2021

There are also differences in high blood pressure prevalence between adults with and without a disability. Additionally, disparities in high blood pressure based on the type of disability also exist. Chart 2 and Table 5 show the age-adjusted prevalence of high blood pressure for adults without a disability, as well adults with a disability, categorized by type of disability. Among adults without a disability, 24.2% reported having high blood pressure. Minnesota adults with any reported disability were more likely to report high blood pressure. Adults with disabilities affecting vision, mobility, independent living, and self-care were most likely to report having high blood pressure. 

Chart 2: High Blood Pressure Awareness by Disability Status and Type of Disability, Minnesota Adults, 2021

Table 5: High Blood Pressure Awareness by Disability Status and Type of Disability, Minnesota Adults, 2021

*Note–people may have more than one disability

Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are known to influence health behaviors, which can impact the risk of high blood pressure. Table 6 shows the prevalence of high blood pressure among Minnesota adults based on the number of days within the past 30 days a person experiences poor mental health. Prevalence of high blood pressure was similar among adults who did not experience poor mental health and those who experience 1-13 poor mental health days. About a third of adults who have had at least 14 poor mental health days had high blood pressure.

Table 6: High Blood Pressure Awareness by Mental Health Indicator, Minnesota Adults, 2021

Other Resources

• CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence & Trends Data
  These data are population-weighted and provide the most comprehensive overview of health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services by US adults. Data can be compared across states and metropolitan areas for multiple years, by sex, race group, age group, and income.


• PLACES: Local Data for Better Health
  These data provide information on 29 health indicators (including high blood pressure and blood pressure medication) in the US based on national health surveys, including BRFSS. Information is shown by county, place, census tract, and zip code across the entire country. The PLACES data can help us identify and understand health issues affecting the residents of local areas of all sizes in the US; develop and begin prevention programs; and set key health goals. 
  It’s important to remember that these are estimates created from survey data. This means that when survey data are not available for a specific small area, information from nearby areas are used to estimate the measure for that place. Because they are estimates, the information shouldn’t be used to show change over time or how effective a specific program is. 


• Geographic Variation in Hypertension in Minnesota: 2014 Report
  This Minnesota Department of Health report utilizes the Minnesota All Payer Claims Database (MN APCD) and provides the first estimates of hypertension prevalence in local communities. High Blood Pressure levels for insured adults in 2014 are reported at the state, county, and Zip Code level.

Data Source

The results are analyses conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health based on data from the Minnesota Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data. The survey is a weighted population-based survey of health behaviors of adults residing in Minnesota.

Measure Definition

This measure is based on the question in the BRFSS survey “Have you EVER been told by a doctor, nurse or other health professional that you have high blood pressure?“ For this measure, we report the (weighted) proportion of adults that responded yes. For the statewide measure by race and ethnicity, by disability status, and by number of poor mental health days, we report the (weighted) age-adjusted proportion of adults that responded yes. For the prevalence measures by age group and sex, we report the unadjusted proportion of adults that responded yes. Because these estimates are from a survey of a small portion of the population, the 95% confidence intervals are also presented. A 95% confidence interval is a statistic which means that we are 95% confident that the actual value of the estimate is within the range. This also helps us decide if estimates are statistically-different from each other, such as when comparing years, or race groups.