Hypertension and American Indians/Alaska Natives

Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, which carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80. High blood pressure is when readings consistently stay at or above 130/80. Blood pressure can change during the day, but levels that stay too high damage your arteries by making them less elastic. This decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to your organs, including your heart, and increases the risk of serious health problems like heart and kidney disease.

Hypertension usually develops slowly and is often linked to lifestyle factors such as not getting enough physical activity and poor diet. Conditions like diabetes, obesity, stress, anxiety, and depression can raise risk, as can pregnancy, family history, and environment. Healthy lifestyle choices such as eating a healthy diet, being physically active, not smoking, and taking medications when needed can help prevent or manage hypertension.

In 2024, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults were 15% less likely to have diagnosed hypertension than U.S. adults overall.

In 2021, AI/AN adults with hypertension were 2% more likely than all U.S. adults with hypertension to use anti-hypertensive medication.

In 2022, AI/AN people were 13% less likely than the U.S. population overall to die from essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease.

Additional Resources

MedlinePlus

Related Data

Further Reading

HHS OMH Knowledge Center Topic Guide: Hypertension

Occurrence

Adults ages 18 and over with diagnosed hypertension, percentage, 2024
AI/AN	Total Population	Ratio (AI/AN / Total)
23.1	27.3	0.85

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Interactive summary health statistics for adults: Percentage of diagnosed hypertension for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2024. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Adults ages 18 and over with hypertension, age-standardized prevalence, percentage, 2021
AI/AN*	Total Population	Ratio (AI/AN* / Total)
36.5	30.1	1.21

Source: Sekkarie, A., Fang, J., Hayes, D., & Loustalot, F. (2024). Prevalence of self-reported hypertension and antihypertensive medication use among adults - United States, 2017-2021 (Table 1). MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 73(9), 191–198. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Health Care Use

Adults ages 18 and over with hypertension who use antihypertensive medication, age-standardized percentage, 2021
AI/AN*	Total Population	Ratio (AI/AN* / Total)
64.0	62.9	1.02

Source: Sekkarie, A., Fang, J., Hayes, D., & Loustalot, F. (2024). Prevalence of self-reported hypertension and antihypertensive medication use among adults - United States, 2017-2021 (Table 2). MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 73(9), 191–198. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Mortality

Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease mortality, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2022
	AI/AN*	Total Population	Ratio (AI/AN* / Total)
Male	9.3	11.2	0.83
Female	8.6	9.4	0.91
Both Sexes	9.0	10.3	0.87

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Deaths: Final data for 2022 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 4, Table 11). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.

Date Last Reviewed: March 2026