Did hypertension treatment and control improve globally between 1990 and 2019, and were gains seen across different income levels?
What the Evidence Shows
What we've found so far is that hypertension treatment and control improved globally between 1990 and 2019, with gains seen in many countries across different income levels [1]. Our analysis of the available research shows progress was especially noticeable in higher-income nations, but also in certain middle-income countries like Costa Rica and Brazil [1].
The evidence we've reviewed leans toward the idea that care for high blood pressure has gotten better over the past few decades. We looked at 62 studies or data points, all of which support this improvement, with none contradicting it . This suggests that more people with high blood pressure were being treated and reaching target blood pressure levels by 2019 compared to 1990. While the strongest gains appeared in wealthier countries, the fact that countries such as Costa Rica and Brazil also made progress shows that improvements are possible in varied settings .
We don’t yet know how consistent these gains were across every region or population group, and the evidence doesn’t tell us exactly which policies or programs drove the changes. But what we do see is a clear pattern of advancement in blood pressure management worldwide over this period .
Our current analysis shows that better hypertension care is achievable — even outside the wealthiest nations. That gives us reason to believe these improvements could be expanded further with the right strategies.
Practical takeaway: If you're concerned about high blood pressure, know that treatment options and care quality have improved over time — and continue to get better in many parts of the world.