Almost one in five younger adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure, according to a new study.

But only half of those adults, who were ages 24 to 32, have been told by a doctor that they are hypertensive, which shows that not everyone may be aware that they have the symptomless disease, said study researcher Dr. Eric Whitsel, an assistant professor in medicine and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

If a younger adult goes to a doctor for a checkup, the doctor will likely screen for high blood pressure. But “if people aren’t visiting health care professionals and aren’t measuring their blood pressure at home using inexpensive monitors, then they won't capture their illness," Whitsel told MyHealthNewsDaily.

Diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure are important because, if left untreated, it can lead to heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

The new study was published online today (May 25) in the journal Epidemiology.