The Silent Killer: Campaign Raises Awareness about Hypertension
In the United States and around the world, high blood pressure is the number one risk factor for early death and poor health. Defined by the 2025 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Hypertension Guidelines as readings over 130/80 mm Hg, high blood pressure raises the risk of life-altering conditions such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and even dementia. Yet while nearly half of all U.S. adults have high blood pressure, only about 1 in 4 have it under control, and many who suffer from hypertension are not even aware they are at risk.
To raise awareness about the many dangers of hypertension, known as the “silent killer,” the Hypertension Control Alliance has launched a campaign called Hypertension Bites. Convened by the CDC Foundation, the alliance brings together public health, clinical, nonprofit and private sector leaders to provide the information and resources people need to seek medical care and get their hypertension under control. Among the resources provided through the campaign website is a hypertension control plan starter, a step-by-step guide to controlling hypertension by tracking blood pressure numbers, building a healthy lifestyle to address the risk and seeking treatment from a health care professional. Designed to make blood pressure control understandable and achievable, these resources offer clear, actionable steps people can take to start the journey to better health.
The next phase of the website will also include a range of patient education materials designed to boost confidence in discussing blood pressure control, including information posters that can be used in offices or clinics to share important messages about blood pressure control, a blood pressure control plan journal that patients can use to build their control plan and a Talk Pressure Guide featuring research-based messages for communicating about blood pressure control.
“When it comes to uncontrolled hypertension, raising awareness about the severity of this condition and risks it poses is really step one,” said Kinetra Joseph, CDC Foundation Sr. Advisor for Social Marketing and Behavior Change Programs. “That’s why this campaign is focused on increasing awareness of the threat and providing the resources people need to achieve blood pressure control.”
Launched in February 2026 to coincide with American Heart Month, the Hypertension Bites campaign partnered with actress and director Aisha Tyler, who used her family’s connection to hypertension to remind audiences that control is a journey built on steady progress—not perfection. To reinforce that message, the campaign will feature national community outreach and local community interventions in Atlanta, Georgia and in New Orleans and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The campaign will also feature stories from patients and healthcare professionals who are willing to share their personal stories about hypertension control.
If you or others in your network are interested in sharing your personal stories, please contact the Hypertension Bites campaign team by sending a message to hypertension@cdcfoundation.org.
