Zhou B, Carrillo-Larco RM, Danaei G, et al. - Across countries (200 countries and territories), a substantial variation in the improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension, from 1990 to 2019, was revealed with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. In high-income countries as well as in low-income and middle-income settings, the dual approach of decreasing hypertension prevalence via primary prophylaxis and enhancing its treatment and control is attainable.

• From population-representative studies, data from 1990 to 2019 were analyzed on individuals (aged 30–79 years) with hypertension.

• Despite stable global age-standardized prevalence, doubling of the number of people aged 30–79 years with hypertension was reported from 1990 to 2019.

• For both men and women, the lowest age-standardized hypertension prevalence was reported in Canada and Peru, in 2019.

• Control rates were 23% (20–27) and 18% (16–21) for women and men, respectively, in 2019.

• Highest treatment and control rates were noted, in 2019, in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan.

• Improvements in treatment and control rates were evident for most countries, but little change was observed in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania.

• Largest improvements were evident in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries.