From the American Heart Association:

• About 74.5 million people in the United States age 20 and older have high blood pressure.
• One in three adults has high blood pressure.
• Of those people with high blood pressure, 77.6 percent were aware of their condition.
• Of all people with high blood pressure, 67.9 percent were under current treatment, 44.1 percent had it under control, and 55.9 percent did not have it controlled.
• The cause of 90–95 percent of the cases of high blood pressure isn’t known; however, high blood pressure is easily detected and usually controllable.
• From 1996 to 2006 the death rate from high blood pressure increased 19.5 percent, and the actual number of deaths rose 48.1 percent.
• Non-Hispanic blacks are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure than are non-Hispanic whites.
• Within the African-American community, those with the highest rates of hypertension are more likely to be middle aged or older, less educated, overweight or obese, physically inactive, and to have diabetes.
• In 2006 the death rates per 100,000 population from high blood pressure were 15.6 for white males, 51.1 for black males, 14.3 for white females and 37.7 for black females.

From The Center for Disease Control:

• About one out of three U.S. adults—31.3%—has high blood pressure.
• High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.
• High blood pressure was listed as a primary or contributing cause of death for 326,000 Americans in 2006.
• In 2010, high blood pressure will cost the United States $76.6 billion in health care services, medications, and missed days of work.
• About 70% of those with high blood pressure and took medication had their high blood pressure controlled. The control rate was 46.6% among all hypertensive patients.
• 25% of American adults has pre-hypertension—blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range. Pre-hypertension raises your risk for high blood pressure
• In 2006, 66.2% of adults who visited their doctor had their blood pressure checked.
• More than one in five (22.4%) people with high blood pressure don’t know that they have it.
• In 2006, Americans visited their doctors more than 40 million times to treat their high blood pressure.
• More than two-thirds of Americans who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure use medications to treat the condition.