Hypertension Is Common in Post-9/11 Veterans

THURSDAY, April 23, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Hypertension is common among post-9/11 veterans, with clinical hypertension seen in 44.9 percent, according to a study published online April 22 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.Tiffany E. Chang, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study using national Veterans Health Administration data to identify post-9/11 veterans (discharged post-9/11) to examine the proportions with clinical hypertension, undiagnosed hypertension, and untreated hypertension.The researchers found that 44.9 percent of the 1,181,007 veterans had clinical hypertension; among them, 49 and 26 percent had undiagnosed and untreated hypertension, respectively. Women had a lower risk for clinical hypertension and untreated hypertension compared with men (adjusted prevalence ratios, 0.95 and 0.61, respectively), but had a higher risk for undiagnosed hypertension (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.17). Black veterans had a 9 percent higher risk for hypertension than White veterans, but a 26 and 19 percent lower risk for undiagnosed and untreated hypertension, respectively."Veterans have higher rates of certain risk factors, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and direct combat exposure, that may contribute to an increased risk of high blood pressure compared to nonveterans," Chang said in a statement. "Earlier prevention and management of high blood pressure are key to reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke and improving long-term health outcomes."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Hypertension Is Common in Post-9/11 Veterans

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