Expenditures for Hypertension among Adults Age 18 and Older, 2010: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is the leading cause of stroke and kidney failure, and a major cause of heart attacks. This Statistical Brief presents estimates based on the Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) on the use of and expenditures for all medical care (see definition for expenditures), ambulatory care (office-based provider and hospital outpatient visits), and prescribed medicines to treat hypertension among the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adult population. Annual estimates for 2010 are shown by type of service and source of payment. All differences between estimates noted in the text are statistically significant at the 0.05 level or better.