Hypertension Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Management for Post-9/11 US Veterans

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Public Health
• Military Medicine

Background:

• Hypertension prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment patterns vary across demographics in the US.
• Limited data exists on hypertension in the youngest veteran cohort (post-9/11), including women and minority subgroups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of hypertension among post-9/11 veterans.
• To examine disparities in hypertension by sex and race/ethnicity within this cohort.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using national Veterans Health Administration data (2001-2023).
• Identified post-9/11 veterans receiving care.
• Calculated proportions of clinical, undiagnosed, and untreated hypertension.
• Analyzed prevalence ratios adjusted for demographics and comorbidities by sex and race/ethnicity.

Main Results:

• Among 1,181,007 post-9/11 veterans, 44.9% had clinical hypertension; 49% were undiagnosed, and 26% were untreated.
• Women had lower risks of clinical and untreated hypertension but higher risk of undiagnosed hypertension compared to men.
• Black veterans had a higher risk of hypertension but lower risks of undiagnosed and untreated hypertension compared to White veterans.

Conclusions:

• Nearly half of post-9/11 veterans meet hypertension criteria, with significant rates of undiagnosed and untreated cases.
• Tailored hypertension screening and self-measured blood pressure monitoring are recommended to address prevalence and management gaps.
• Potential sex and racial/ethnic differences in hypertension require targeted interventions.