New "Hypertension Bites" Campaign Urges Adults to Prioritize Blood Pressure Control

Actor and director Aisha Tyler partners to launch a national campaign for American Heart Month, highlighting the dangers of uncontrolled high blood pressure.

ATLANTA, Feb. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hypertension Control Alliance today launched Hypertension Bites, a national campaign focused on one of the most urgent and preventable threats to long-term health—high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for early death and poor health worldwide.ⁱ Often called the "silent killer," it rarely causes symptoms and can quietly damage the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels when left uncontrolled.ⁱⁱ According to the 2025 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Hypertension Guidelines, uncontrolled high blood pressure means a person's blood pressure readings remain at or above 130/80 mm Hg, even if they've been diagnosed and are receiving treatment. Over time, that damage raises the risk of life-altering conditions such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and even dementia.

Members of the Hypertension Control Alliance developed Hypertension Bites to help more adults understand what blood pressure control means, why it matters and how to take actionable steps that fit the demands of their everyday life. The Alliance is assembled by the CDC Foundation with support from founding partner AstraZeneca and brings together other partners from the public health, health care and private sectors, including the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA). Dozens of other organizations will support dissemination efforts, helping bring hypertension control tools and messages to audiences in communities nationwide.

Hypertension Bites is designed to make blood pressure control understandable and achievable—addressing a gap in patient education that leaves many adults feeling unclear on what control actually means or how to reach it. Audience research found that many people with uncontrolled hypertension don't know the goal or the steps it takes to get there. The campaign helps break it down simply: control means getting to and staying below 130 over 80 by following a plan that fits your life. For most people, that plan includes three parts—knowing and tracking your numbers; building sustainable healthy habits like moving more and managing stress; and taking medications as prescribed.

Actor and director Aisha Tyler helps reinforce this message, reminding audiences that control is a journey built on steady progress—not perfection.

"Unfortunately, high blood pressure isn't something you can always see or feel, so it's easy to ignore. But as I've seen in my own family, leaving it unchecked can have a profound effect on your health," Tyler said. "Hypertension Bites gives people a place to start. You don't have to be perfect. You just have to take that first step: check your numbers, talk to your doctor and make a plan that fits your life."

"High blood pressure doesn't announce itself. It builds quietly while people are busy living their lives: raising families, building careers and managing stress," said Rachna Chandora, chief program officer (acting), CDC Foundation. "Serious damage from high blood pressure can develop long before people take action. Hypertension Bites is about creating urgency and turning that urgency into action —helping people track their numbers, adopt healthy habits, follow treatment when needed, and protect their future."

"Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure and three in four adults with hypertension do not have it under control," said Dr. Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, professor at the Johns Hopkins Schools of Nursing and Public Health, and advisor to the Hypertension Control Alliance.ⁱⁱⁱ "In the campaign research, we saw a wide range of experiences behind those numbers. Some people underestimate the risk because they feel fine or think they can manage it on their own. Others are frustrated because they've tried and struggled to get results. And some only fully grasp the urgency after a health event touches their life. Our goal is to help all of them understand what control looks like—and how to get there."

Hypertension Bites offers a campaign website where people can access blood pressure control tools, tips and resources at MyBPControl.org.

About the Hypertension Bites Campaign
The Hypertension Bites campaign was designed to turn confusion into clarity, frustration into confidence and information into action—by helping people understand blood pressure control and work with a health care professional to create a blood pressure control plan that fits their life. The approach to planning the campaign started with listening. While the campaign is intended for all adults, it was shaped primarily by insights from people ages 40 and older—many of whom are juggling work, caregiving and competing priorities that may be resonant with older Millennials and Gen X. The creative uses a familiar, 90s reality TV–inspired approach and relatable spokespeople to reflect real-life challenges and make blood pressure control feel relevant and achievable.

Through research with hundreds of people living with uncontrolled hypertension, the Hypertension Control Alliance identified key gaps, needs and strategies to help people address challenges head-on. The campaign clarifies what blood pressure control means, keeping numbers under 130/80, while raising awareness of the hidden risks of uncontrolled hypertension and why early, sustained control matters, even when you feel fine. It also offers hope and practical support by sharing real stories, reinforcing progress over perfection and equipping people with simple tools they can use with a health care professional to build a control plan that fits their lives.

About the Hypertension Control Alliance
The Hypertension Control Alliance is a national, cross-sector coalition committed to improving high blood pressure control and reducing the burden of hypertension across the United States. Formed to address one of the most urgent and preventable drivers of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and dementia, the Alliance brings together public health, clinical, nonprofit and private-sector leaders to advance awareness, action and patient-centered solutions for hypertension prevention and control.

The Alliance is assembled by the CDC Foundation with initial support from AstraZeneca, whose early investment reflects its recognition of uncontrolled hypertension as a critical public health challenge and the need to partner with public health and community organizations to drive broader impact. Other Alliance members include the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA)—organizations that engage clinical subject matter experts to serve as technical advisers and ensure all content is rooted in science and evidence-based practice. The Alliance's work complements ongoing hypertension control efforts nationwide by focusing on equipping patients through national education campaigns, community outreach and local interventions, starting with Atlanta.

About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation is authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners, corporations, organizations and individuals to support the critical health protection mission of the nation's public health system, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn more at www.cdcfoundation.org. Follow the CDC Foundation on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter and TikTok.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Amaris Adams
[email protected]

Amy Tolchinsky
[email protected]

ⁱ He C, Lu S, Yu H, Sun Y, Zhang X. Global, regional, and national disease burden attributable to high systolic blood pressure in youth and young adults: 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study analysis. BMC Med. 2025 Feb 6;23(1):74. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-03918-1. PMID: 39915840; PMCID: PMC11804021.

ⁱⁱ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), About High Blood Pressure, https://www.cdc.gov/high-blood-pressure/about/index.html

ⁱⁱⁱ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High Blood Pressure Priorities. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/priorities/high-blood-pressure.html

SOURCE Hypertension Control Alliance