Scaling up the treatment of high blood pressure could prevent an estimated 518,476 cardiovascular deaths annually across 20 upper- and lower-middle-income countries, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. The modeling analysis, led by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, assessed the potential impact of expanding six evidence-based preventive services: blood pressure control, statin therapy for high cholesterol, glucose control in people with diabetes, and screening for colon, breast, and cervical cancers.
The findings indicate that among these interventions, improving hypertension control would save the most lives, followed by broader use of statins, which could prevent 340,682 annual deaths, and better blood sugar management in people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, which could prevent 309,520 deaths. Colon cancer screening was also projected to avert 206,767 deaths each year.
“In this study, we analyzed existing data to assess if expanding use of NCD preventive healthcare services across 20 countries worldwide could reduce cardiovascular death,” said Scott Pilla, M.D., M.H.S., an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “We found that expanding treatment of high blood pressure to more people prevented the most deaths.”
The study highlights a stark gap in care: only about one in five adults with hypertension in the studied countries has their blood pressure controlled below 140/90 mm Hg. Similarly, just 16% of individuals with high cholesterol use statins, and 39% of those with diabetes have blood sugar below optimal levels. Cancer screening rates ranged from 14% to 26%. The researchers estimated that increasing these services to match the levels of high-performing U.S. health systems—approximately 80% of eligible patients—would yield the substantial reductions in mortality.
Lower-middle-income countries stand to gain the most, with an estimated 223,655 annual deaths prevented from improved blood pressure control, nearly matching the 223,282 deaths that could be prevented in upper-middle-income countries. The study defined treatment targets based on major guidelines, including the American Heart Association’s 2025 Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults and the 2026 dyslipidemia guideline.
“This modeling analysis offers important information on the potential global impact of high blood pressure and, importantly, the opportunity to, with treatment, reduce the number of deaths due to high blood pressure-related conditions,” said Daniel W. Jones, M.D., FAHA, chair of the American Heart Association’s 2025 guideline writing committee and past volunteer president of the Association. “Treatment of high blood pressure to goal leads to longer lives and also healthier lives.”
The research is considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal. The abstract will be published in the Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026 Supplement of the Hypertension journal. Additional resources, including a video interview with Jones, are available on the release link. For more information on high blood pressure, visit the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure page and learn How to Manage High Blood Pressure. The Association’s financial information is available here.
