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About the Author

A young, black, professional, Spelman College and UNC Law grad, and new mommy who practices law in the Chicago suburbs.

Hypertension in the African American Community

October 30th, 2006 • Related • Filed Under

If you are like most people, you or someone you know has high blood pressure, also called hypertension. For a variety of reasons, the unfortunate truth is that the prevalence of hypertension in African Americans is among the highest in the world. This fact makes hypertension one of our primary targets in the campaign to improve health and wellness.

Poorly controlled hypertension can lead to a variety of serious health problems including strokes, heart disease and kidney failure. African Americans suffer from the complications of hypertension at alarmingly high rates. Often, we do not receive treatment until the blood pressure has been elevated for many years and has already began to damage organs in the body.

Compared to Whites, African Americans develop hypertension at an earlier age and are more prone to have substantially elevated pressures. Data reveal that compared to the general population, African Americans have:

A 80% higher death rate associated with strokes due to hypertension.
A 50% higher death rate associated with heart disease due to hypertension.
A 320% higher death rate associated with end-stage kidney disease.

Many women taking birth control pills experience a small increase in blood pressure, but the pressure usually remains in the normal range. Hypertension has been reported to be 2-3 times more common in women taking birth control pills and is most evident in obese and older women. Women over 35 years of age who smoke are advised against taking birth control pills as they are at an increased risk of developing hypertension.

Prevention

The initial screening for hypertension is fairly simple and straightforward. All you need to do is have your blood pressure measured with a cuff that is placed around your arm and then inflated (technically it is called a sphygmomanometer). As a basic rule, if the average of three blood pressure readings (on different days) is over 140/90 mm Hg it can be concluded that you have hypertension.

The exact cause of hypertension in most cases is not known. In the medical community this is referred to as “essential” hypertension. A combination of genetics, diet, and lifestyle certainly play a large role in the development of high blood pressure. It is very important to point out that if you develop hypertension at a young age or the hypertension develops suddenly, your doctor should carefully evaluate you for causes of hypertension that are potentially reversible. You may need special studies that will evaluate the vessels that supply blood to your kidneys and for other potential disorders in your endocrine system. Check out these ten ways to control high blood pressure.