High blood pressure, 2014
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure. It can narrow and block arteries, as well as strain and weaken the body’s organs.Note 1
The high blood pressure data are based on a question in the Canadian Community Health Survey that asked if respondents had been diagnosed with high blood pressure by a health professional.
In 2014, 17.7% of Canadians aged 12 and older (5.3 million people) reported being diagnosed with high blood pressure. This was not a significant change from 2013, though it has been increasing since 2001 when it was 12.6%.
From 2001 to 2009, females were more likely than males to report that they had been diagnosed with high blood pressure. However, since 2013, the rate of high blood pressure has been higher for males than females. Between 2010 and 2012, there was no difference between the sexes (Chart 1).
High blood pressure rates increased with age for both males and females across all age groups. The highest rate of high blood pressure was the 75 and older age group, with 49.0% of males and 54.5% of females reporting the chronic condition.
The rate of high blood pressure was higher for males than females between the ages of 12 and 64, while after age 75 it was higher for females. Between the ages of 65 and 74, the rate was similar between the sexes (Chart 2).
In addition, Canadians aged 18 and over who were obeseNote 2 were more likely to have high blood pressure than those who were not obese. In 2014, 32.7% of Canadians aged 18 and over who were obese had high blood pressure, compared with 15.4% of those who were not obese.
The proportion of residents who reported high blood pressure was lower than the national average (17.7%) in:
- Alberta (15.3%)
- British Columbia (15.5%)
- Northwest Territories (12.3%)
- Nunavut (8.3%)Note 3
The proportion of residents who reported high blood pressure that was higher than the national average in:
- Newfoundland and Labrador (24.8%)
- Prince Edward Island (22.0%)
- Nova Scotia (20.6%)
- New Brunswick (23.5%)
- Ontario (18.5%)
Residents of the other provinces and Yukon reported rates that were about the same as the national average.
Because of the strong relationship between age and high blood pressure, provinces and territories with disproportionately younger populations are expected to have high blood pressure rates below the national average. The reverse is true for provinces and territories with older populations. To remove the effect of different age distributions when making provincial comparisons, please refer to the CANSIM table 105-0503 for the age standardized rates.
Notes
References
Garriguet, Didier. 2007. “Sodium consumption at all ages.” Health Reports. Vol. 18, no. 2. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. p. 47–52. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2006004/article/sodium/9608-eng.pdf.
Heart and Stroke Foundation. http://www.heartandstroke.ca (accessed May 10, 2010).
Johansen, Helen. 1999. “Living with heart disease—the working—age population.” Health Reports. Vol. 10, no. 4. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. p. 33-45. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/studies-etudes/82-003/archive/1999/4508-eng.pdf.
Johansen, Helen, Nargundkar, Mukund, Nair, Cyril, Taylor, Greg, ElSaadany, Susie. 1997. “At risk of first or recurring heart disease.” Health Reports. Vol. 9, no. 4. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. p.19–29. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/studies-etudes/82-003/archive/1998/3683-eng.pdf.
Wilkins, Kathryn, Campbell, Norman R.C., Joffres, Michel R. 2010. “Blood pressure in Canadian adults.” Health Reports. Vol. 21, no. 1. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. p.1-10. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2010001/article/11118-eng.pdf.
Data
Additional data from the Canadian Community Health Survey are available from CANSIM tables 105–0501 and 105-0503.
- Date modified: