Study Shows Plenty Of Americans With High Blood Pressure Aren't Controlling It

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – New research shows many adults with hypertension aren't keeping their pressure at a healthy level.

Vikram Marla was diagnosed with hypertension 10 years ago. He says stress at work contributed to the problem.

"I used to put in a lot of long hours. I use to own a company, a lot of stress," he said.

According to a new CDC report, about 30 percent of Americans have high blood pressure and about half of them don't have it under control.

"You can have heart attacks from that, you can have an increased incident of stroke," said Dr. Ravi Dave.

Dr. Dave with UCLA Health says poor diet and lack of exercise are often reasons why patients can't keep their blood pressure in check.

"Get it under control. The longer you wait the more harm you're doing to your body," Dr. Dave said.

Marla now keeps his blood pressure under control with medication. He's also changed his lifestyle.

"Exercise and medication is something everyone can do," Marla said.

He urges others to take their heart attack risks seriously.

The report also reveals hypertension is most prevalent among African American men and women as well as Hispanic women.