More than one-third of adults in England have high blood pressure, yet 59 per cent of those affected do not know they have it, according to an Oxford University analysis. The condition increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and premature death, while only about half of patients receiving treatment have their blood pressure adequately controlled.

The study examined records from 1.4 million participants in the Our Future Health programme between 2022 and 2025, defining hypertension as blood pressure of at least 140/90 mmHg or use of blood-pressure-lowering medication. Hypertension affected 42 per cent of men and 29 per cent of women, was more common with age, and affected 15.3 per cent of people under 40; researchers said current diagnostic and treatment procedures create gaps in care, with progress stalling since around 2011 and possibly worsening after the pandemic.