A new government report says more American adults are aware they have high blood pressure, and more are taking medicine to control it.
But that doesn't mean more people have the condition. The study found that the percentage of U.S. adults with high blood pressure has been holding steady at 30 percent.
The report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used health surveys from 1999 through 2008. During that time, the percentage of adults aware of their high blood pressure increased to nearly 81 percent. About three-quarters were taking medication.
High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" because it doesn't have symptoms. But it's easy to check for and usually can be controlled through exercise, diet and medicine.
