Plate Nº 14 · recorded October 10, 2026
Health & Medicine ResearchReported finding
Nearly 6 in 10 People with Hypertension in England Are Undiagnosed
A study of 1.4 million adults in England found that 59% of those with high blood pressure had never been diagnosed, while half of patients already on medication still had unsafe readings.
By Marcus Bennett3 min read603 words
In brief
- 59% of adults with hypertension in England had never been diagnosed or treated.
- 37% of the 1.4 million participants met hypertension criteria (≥140/90 mmHg).
- Half of patients already on blood pressure medication still had readings of 140/90 mmHg or higher.
- Hypertension affected 71% of adults aged 80 and over, compared with 15% of those aged 18-39.
- The study was published on October 2, 2026 in BMJ Public Health.
Nearly 6 in 10 adults in England with high blood pressure have never been diagnosed or treated, according to an analysis of 1.4 million people published on October 2, 2026.
The study, led by researchers at Oxford Population Health, drew on blood pressure readings collected between 2022 and 2025 through Our Future Health, the UK's largest health research programme. Participants joined voluntarily, and the team compared their clinic measurements against a standard threshold.
How did the researchers define hypertension?
The team applied World Health Organization criteria. A participant was classified as having high blood pressure if their systolic reading reached 140 mmHg or higher, their diastolic reading hit 90 mmHg or higher, or they were already taking medication to lower blood pressure.
How common is high blood pressure in England?
More than one-third of participants (37%) met the hypertension threshold. Prevalence climbed steeply with age:
- 15% of adults aged 18 to 39
- 71% of adults aged 80 and over
Men were affected almost 50% more often than women. Age-standardised rates reached 42% in men and 29% in women.
What does the study reveal about diagnosis and treatment?
The most striking finding concerned awareness. Among participants who met the criteria for hypertension, 59% had never received a diagnosis and were not on medication.
Treatment, when it happened, did not guarantee control. Among those taking one or more blood pressure-lowering drugs, 50% still recorded readings of 140/90 mmHg or higher.
Lead author Wenyu Liu, a medical statistician at Oxford Population Health, said: "While hypertension is largely a 'silent killer,' the current approach to detecting and treating high blood pressure is not fit for purpose."
She added: "Even among younger adults, who currently aren't eligible for an NHS Health Check, over 15% already had high blood pressure. This underscores the need for population-wide prevention strategies alongside targeted treatment for people at high cardiovascular risk."
Why is so much hypertension going undetected?
The researchers point to current NICE guidelines, which require several blood pressure measurements to confirm a diagnosis and recommend lifestyle changes before medication in some cases. In their view, this cautious path leaves many patients in limbo, undetected, untreated, or under-treated, for years.
What would a better approach look like?
The authors argue for more proactive detection. Iain Turnbull, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Our Future Health and a GP, said the findings mirror what he sees in general practice, calling for screening and treatment decisions based on a patient's predicted cardiovascular risk, not just their blood pressure numbers.
Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, called the picture "concerning."
High blood pressure, he noted, "remains the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, linked to around half of heart attacks and strokes in the UK."
He estimated that "better detection and treatment could help tens of thousands of people to avoid a preventable heart attack and stroke. But to achieve this, we will need to rethink how we identify, treat and support those at-risk so that blood pressure checks and effective treatment can benefit everyone."
What are the study's limits?
The analysis relied on a single set of clinic readings rather than the multiple measurements NICE usually requires, which may overstate or understate prevalence. The cross-sectional design captures a snapshot, not a trend, so the data cannot show whether awareness or control rates are improving. Participation in Our Future Health was also voluntary, meaning the sample may not perfectly represent the wider English population.
The findings appear in BMJ Public Health, 2026; 4 (3): e004815.
via dx.doi.org (Original)
More from Marcus Bennett
Nearby plates
- Masked High Blood Pressure Linked to 70% Higher Fall Risk in Adults Over 78
- Letting Your Arm Hang During a Blood Pressure Check Can Add 6.5 mmHg
- AI Search Tools Give Unreliable Answers on Blood Pressure Monitor Validation
- One Weekly Session of Isometric Exercise May Keep Blood Pressure Down
- Faith Leaders Could Be Key Partners in Nigeria's Hypertension Fight