By Eric Metcalf

New research from the federal government offers some bad news and some good news. The bad news: A lot of Americans still have high blood pressure. The good news is, however, that more are aware of the problem - and this knowledge may help them do something about it.

 The research was published in October by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers found that in adults, the prevalence of high blood pressure - meaning the percentage of people who have the problem - hovered at about 30 percent from 1999 to 2008. The prevalence didn't change significantly for men, women, any age group, whites, non-Hispanic blacks, or Mexican-Americans.

 However, in 2000, only about 70 percent of adults with high blood pressure knew that they had the problem. By 2008, more than 80 percent with high blood pressure were aware of it. 

 More people with high blood pressure may be taking their condition seriously, too. In 2000, about 60 percent of people with the problem were taking medication for it. By 2008, that number had climbed to nearly 74 percent. Among adults with high blood pressure, the percentage who had it under control leaped from 30.3 percent to 48.4 percent during this period. 

The researchers based their study on National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, which track the health of Americans.

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that adults have their blood pressure checked at least every two years. If you haven't asked your health care provider to check yours recently, now may be a good time to do so. According to the AAFP, both high blood pressure and a related problem called prehypertension (in which blood pressure is elevated, but not enough to warrant a diagnosis of high blood pressure) can raise your risk of stroke, heart disease, and other conditions. However, high blood pressure usually doesn't cause symptoms, so you can have it but not be aware that it's damaging your blood vessels.

Doctors usually suggest that people try to first control their high blood pressure with lifestyle changes, such as losing weight if necessary, eating a diet that's low in sodium and high in fruits and vegetables, not smoking, and limiting alcohol. Your doctor may also need to prescribe medicine, depending on how your blood pressure responds to these changes.

So if you don't know if you have high blood pressure or not, finding out is a good way to start treating it if necessary.