Abstract
BACKGROUND: Approximately half of US adults have hypertension, with only 1 in 4 having it controlled. Regular visits to primary care can assist with managing hypertension. We estimated the number of US adults aged ≥18 years with self-reported hypertension reporting primary care visits within the last year. METHODS: Using the 2023 National Health Interview Survey, we identified respondents who reported a hypertension diagnosis. Among this population, we calculated the percentage and numbers who reported primary care visits in the last year by select demographic and socioeconomic covariates. RESULTS: Our analytical sample of 10,953 US adults with self-reported hypertension represented 81.9 million adults nationally. Overall, 91.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 90.7%, 92.3%) of US adults with self-reported hypertension reported primary care visits in the last year, representing 75 million nationally. Adults aged 18-44 years had the lowest proportion of visits to primary care by age, 82.3% (95% CI: 79.0%, 85.3%). Males (90.1%, 95% CI: 88.8%, 91.3%) were less likely than females (93.1%, 95% CI: 92.1%, 94.0%) to report visits. Among those with no insurance coverage, only 79.8% (95% CI: 75.3%, 83.8%) reported primary care visits in the last year. CONCLUSIONS: Over 90% of US adults with self-reported hypertension reported a primary care visit in the previous year, representing important opportunities to manage hypertension.