The prevalence of hypertension in blacks in the united states is among the highest in the world. The work confirmed that some of the genetic variants detected in africanamericans were also associated with blood pressure in west africans. African americans and hypertension being of africanamerican descent is a risk factor for hypertension, and the condition is more common in this ethnic group than in whites. Hypertension and hypertensive heart disease is one of the main contributors to a growing burden of noncommunicable forms of cardiovascular disease around the globe. Peer support education for uncontrolled hypertension among. Culturally significant risk factors and prevention strategies it is noted that there exist numerous conditions that affect different ethnic populations with greater degrees of prevalence. The endorgan consequences of hypertension result in a. Articles mainly focused on african americans as a whole. Diabetes and hypertension facts for africanamericans. Today, with african americans at a higher risk than white americans for obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease, race also defines the quality of healthcare, making health disparities in african americans the true silent killer. But black women were hardest hit, with rates higher than those for black men. Many african americans believe that a heart attack or stroke happens suddenly because of a scary. Southern diet blamed for high rates of hypertension among black americans. Clinical interventions to address hypertension disparities topic briefs 3 clinician e.
Hypertension the facts 1 archives of internal medicine, 1997 2 aha 2001 heart and stroke statistical update 3 jnc vii 2004 4 circulation 2009 compared to whites, african americans have a higher prevalence of hypertension 1,2 african americans also have higher rates of cardiovascular mortality, stroke, hypertension related heart disease. Hypertension in africanamericans the network journal. Hypertension in african americans linked to two genomic. Researchers also found that there was a 90 percent lower risk for high blood pressure among african americans who had at least six of seven modifiable healthy behaviors that are. Complications related to hypertension, for example, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and renal failure, affects more than 40% of africanamericans that are over twenty years and this accounts for approximately 20% of deaths, which doubles the percentage rate for whites suffering from the same condition shobha, cherukuri and mayo. The prevalence of high blood pressure hbp or hypertension in africanamericans in the united states is among the highest in the world. Although hypertension is a global problem and its rates are increasing among all populations, particular racialethnic groups have higher rates and poorer outcomes than others. The median number of completed calls per participant was 3, with a range of 1 to 10. Below is a list of considerations as public health programs plan, develop, and implement systemslevel interventions for this underserved population. African american culture and hypertension prevention.
The dash dietary approaches to stop hypertension eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables and lowfat dairy products. Why do black americans have higher prevalence of hypertension. Compared with whites, blacks develop hypertension at an earlier age, their average blood pressures are much higher and they experience worse disease severity. Reducing heart disease through the dash diet journal of. Hypertension htn is a common, progressive health problem contributing to significant morbidity and mortality among african americans. Cook, lanna anderson, maitha aldokhayyil, adelola adeyemo, mesha guinyard and michael brown. Researchers who study cardiovascular health have long known that exercise is one way to keep high blood pressure at bay. Few genome wide association studies gwas of hypertension or bp have been published in noneuropean populations. In the united states, race once defined an individuals level of freedom, including where they could enter, sit, and eat. African americans in the united states tend to have worse outcomes than whites from cardiovascular disease, and here is one way they may be able to help prevent it.
Combination therapy is most often necessary and singlepill formulations are most successful in achieving bp targets. Subclinical manifestations of pressurerelated target organ injury are also more common in aa than whites, even at blood pressure levels well below conventional htn thresholds. Researchers say current high blood pressure treatment strategies have failed african americans, and for the first time new treatment guidelines have been developed especially for them. Education levels linked to hypertension in african americans. Hypertension in african americans despite intense research, the evidence for genetic variants underlying susceptibility to hypertension or blood pressure bp control remains inconsistent.
Exercise may prevent high blood pressure in africanamericans. African american culture and hypertension prevention hypertension htn is a common, progressive health problem contributing to significant morbidity and mortality among african americans. The new classification of blood pressure levels will most likely have the greatest impact on african americans, compared with any other special population, says kenneth a. Hypertension rates among all african americans, women and men, surpassed those of whites and hispanics statewide.
Hypertension and hypertensive heart disease in african. Disease management to promote blood pressure control. Healthcare disparities in african americans minority nurse. The prevalence of hypertension in blacks is higher than in other groups. Hypertension is the single greatest factor leading to cardiovascular disease in african americans nesbitt and victor 2004. The prevalence of hypertension is higher in both middleaged and older african americans compared with nonhispanic whites. The diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in the united states is guided by the 2003 jnc 7, but does this serve for everyone. The slavery hypertension hypothesis states that the higher prevalence of hypertension among blacks could have resulted from an enhanced ability to conserve salt by slaves, protecting them from fatal saltdepletive diseases during the stormy atlantic passage, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Compounding the weight issue is the fact that 43% of african american women, and 26% of african american men are physically inactive crespo, smith, andersen. In general african americans are almost four times more likely than caucasians to develop esrd. However, only a few researches have explored what factors lead to the increase of htn among african americans such as.
Review and become familiar with the national prevalence data on hypertension. Hypertension is the most common chronic condition treated by family physicians. For africanamericans, high blood pressure also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe. Racial health disparities related to hypertension in african americans are a serious public health concern that warrants greater attention. High blood pressure and african americans american heart. Africanamericans develop high blood pressure at younger ages than other groups in the u.
Hypertension accounts for 50% of the racial differences in. But studies confirming this protective effect have mainly focused on white patients, leaving it unclear whether africanamericans, one of the most vulnerable of all populations, have stood to gain in similar ways. Hypertension in african americans and the middle passage. Results of a pioneering study may provide new clues to treating and preventing hypertension in africanamericanshypertension, or chronic high blood pressure, underlies an array of lifethreatening conditions, including heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Statistics on african americans and hypertension indicate that it begins at an earlier age and is usually more severe than in other groups. Endothelial dysfunction and hypertension in african americans. On the move to better heart health for african americans. The recently published global burden of disease series showed a 33 % increase of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in the past two decades with longterm consequences. Twelve cases were found, giving a cumulative risk of 8%. The adjusted relative risk of stroke, for example, is more than twice as high in hypertensive black patients aged 45 to 64 years as compared with similarly aged hypertensive white patients. Study 40 terms epidemiology test 2 flashcards quizlet. Suggested areas of research include quality of care, access to care, social networks, spirituality or religion, racism, and knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about high blood pressure. African americans suffer from earlier and more severe hypertension and have a higher rate of death from stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure as a. Hypertension, the leading single cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is a growing public health problem in subsaharan africa ssa. Hypertension among africanamericans nursing process and. In 2009 to 2012, the ageadjusted prevalence of hypertension was 44.
Overall death rates from hypertension for african americans are 49. Many precursors of htn are preventable through lifestyle management, yet african americans have a low prevalence of engaging in htnprevention selfcare behaviors. Commonsense illness beliefs, adherence behaviors, and. The prevalence of obesity class 2 and 3 among all ethnic groups is highest for african americans of both genders must et al. The salt fried chicken, mac and cheese and sweet drinks.
A study suggests southern cuisine may be at the center of a tangled web of reasons why black people are more prone to hypertension than white people. African americans are at higher risk for this serious disease than any other race or ethnic group. The following is quoted from the 2015 statistical report of the american heart association 1. Elevated blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, myocardial infarction. For africanamericans, high blood pressure often develops early in life. Africanamericans with healthier lifestyles had lower risk. Reducing disparities in hypertension among african. Few studies have estimated and compared the burden of hypertension across different ssa populations. Researchers uncover genetic variants linked to blood. As hypertension is far more common and severe in africanamericans, it rapidly progresses to advanced target organ damage, left ventricular hypertrophy and hf, and is the most common cause of hf. The dietary approaches to stop hypertension dash diet with sodium restriction found better bp reduction for african americans than caucasians, indicating that black individuals may respond differently than whites. We conducted a crosssectional analysis of blood pressure data collected through a cohort study in four ssa countries, to estimate the prevalence of pre.
In middlesex county, which had the largest gap between the sexes, 51. Cultural congruent hypertension prevention strategies for. Premature excess cardiovascular disease defined as occurring prior to age 65 is a pattern in african americans. African americans in the united states have the highest prevalence of hypertension of any such group in the world roger et al. Africans, particularly younger african women, appear. Among men aged 20 to 39 years, african americans are. Developing a lifestyle modification toolkit to prevent and.
A closer look at african american men and high blood. Jamerson, md, a member of the writing committee and. The management of hypertension in african americans. At all ages, african americans have a have a higher level of bp and they have hypertension at younger ages. Management of high blood pressure in african americans. According to the 20052006 national health and nutrition examination survey nhanes data, the current prevalence of hypertension in africanamericans is 39. Clinical interventions to address hypertension disparities. To follow up and expand upon their findings in africanamericans, the researchers scanned dna from 980 west africans with and without hypertension. The latest example is a hypothesis that creatine kinase, which has been observed to be present in greater amounts in the skeletal muscle of african americans than caucasians, could be a genetic factor that predisposes african americans to hypertension, if it is also increased in vascular smooth muscle and cardiac muscle.
Anyone can develop high blood pressure, also called hypertension. Subclinical manifestations of pressurerelated target organ injury are also more common in aa than whites, even at blood pressure levels well below. High blood pressure tends to be more common, happens at an earlier. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects africanamericans in unique ways. African americans and heart disease heart disease is a serious health problem for all americans, especially african americans. The prevalence of hypertension htn, particularly difficult to control blood pressure bp and earlier onset of hypertension, is significantly more common in african americans aa than whites. The findings dispel the widespread belief that west african ancestry is a primary contributor of the high rates of hypertension in african americans, who also are more likely to suffer complications including stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, and dementia, from the disease. Pdf african american culture and hypertension prevention. In a study to determine the incidence of a chronic disease, 150 people were examined at the end of a threeyear period. African americans are overburdened with hypertension resulting in excess morbidity and mortality. African americans develop hypertension at younger ages, are prone to extremely high blood pressure greater than 180110 mmhg, and experience significantly more organ damage than caucasians. More than 40 percent of nonhispanic africanamerican men and women have high blood pressure. This intervention group received a 1time mailing of educational materials developed speci.
Why is hypertension more common in african americans. New guidelines for management of hypertension in african. Southern diet blamed for high rates of hypertension. Common questions about the initial management of hypertension.
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