Hypertension disparity linked to environment

October 21, 2008

Social environment may play a greater role in the disparity between the numbers of African Americans living with hypertension compared to non-Hispanic whites with the disease. A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the disparity was substantially reduced when comparing groups of African Americans and non-Hispanic whites living in similar social environments. The results are published in the November 2008 print edition of Social Science and Medicine.

"Our study found that nearly 31 percent of the hypertension disparity among African Americans and non-Hispanic whites is attributable to environmental factors," says Roland James Thorpe Jr., PhD, lead author of the study and an assistant scientist with the Bloomberg School's Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions. "These findings show that ethnic disparities could be linked to a number of factors other than race. Careful review of psychosocial factors, stress, coping strategies, discrimination and other personality characteristics could play a large role in reducing or eliminating the disparity."

Commonly referred to as the "silent killer," hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease, affecting 65 million adults in the U.S. Hypertension is a serious condition that can damage the heart and blood vessels and eventually lead to stroke, heart failure, heart attack, kidney failure and vision problems. Previous studies have found that African Americans tend to have an earlier onset and higher prevalence of the disease than non-Hispanic whites.

Thorpe, along with colleagues from the Bloomberg School's Center for Health Disparities Solutions and North Carolina Central University, compared data from the Exploring Health Disparities in the Integrated Communities (EHDIC) study and the National Health and Nutrition Examinations Survey (NHANES) to determine if racial disparities in hypertension persisted in communities where there is a minimal difference in social environments. The EHDIC study examines racial disparities among African Americans and non-Hispanic whites with the same median socioeconomic status who reside in the same community. NHANES, a cross-sectional survey, reviews the health, function and nutritional status of people in U.S.

"After adjusting for demographic variables, our research found that while African Americans still displayed greater odds of being hypertensive compared to non-Hispanic whites, there was a dramatic decrease in the ratio. Our study concluded that race differences in social and environmental exposures partially accounted for race differences in hypertension," said Thomas LaVeist, PhD, senior author of the study and director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions. "These findings support our theory that the disparity is likely caused by environmental factors along with several external factors and not biological differences among race groups, as previously suspected."

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

---

---

	Hypertension - High Blood Pressure: How To Lower Blood Pressure Permanently In 8 Weeks Or Less, The Hypertension Treatment, Diet and Solution by John McArthur The Risks of Hypertension High Blood Pressure No warning, no significant early symptoms are trademarks of one of the deadliest diseases on earth commonly known as hypertension or high blood pressure. It is no longer an "old person's disease" because thousands of strokes occur in people under the age of 65 years.  Dr. W. Lee Cowden, M.D says: "High blood pressure often occurs due to a strain on the heart, which can arise from a variety of conditions, including diet, atherosclerosis [hardening of the arteries], high cholesterol, diabetes, environmental factors, as well as lifestyle choices. When these factors combine with a genetic predisposition, hypertension can occur in two out of three individuals." The undue pressure in the arteries slowly erodes the...
	What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About(TM): Hypertension: The Revolutionary Nutrition and Lifestyle Program to Help Fight High Blood Pressure by Mark C. Houston (Author), Barry Fox (Author), Nadine Taylor (Author) Houston offers a revolutionary, all-natural treatment program for reversing hypertension, the "silent killer" that affects more than 60 million Americans.
	Kaplan's Clinical Hypertension (Clinical Hypertension (Kaplan)) by Norman M. Kaplan (Author), Ronald G. Victor (Author) This best-selling clinical reference by a world-renowned authority on hypertension was listed as the #1 reference book for hypertension by the American Society for Hypertension in 2006. Dr. Kaplan integrates the latest basic science findings and clinical trial data and presents up-to-date, practical, evidence-based recommendations for treatment and prevention of all forms of hypertension. Abundant algorithms and flow charts are included to aid clinicians in decision-making. For this Tenth Edition, Dr. Kaplan has a co-author, Ronald Victor, MD, to handle the basic research aspects of hypertension. Highlights include new developments in the pathogenesis of hypertension; discussions on the significance of nighttime blood pressure; new information on the relationship of sleep apnea to blood...
	Reversing Hypertension: A Vital New Program to Prevent, Treat, and Reduce High Blood Pressure by Julian Whitaker (Author) It Strikes One in Four Americans Without Warning... it triples your risk of dying from a heart attack...it increases your risk of stroke sevenfold...it can lead to kidney disease, diabetes, and blindness...and to fight it, you may be taking expensive-and dangerous-drugs. Now Dr. Julian Whitaker, a leading champion of nutritional medicine and the author of Reversing Diabetes and Reversing Heart Disease, unleashes a new weapon in the war against hypertension. His simple yet dramatically effective plan offers: * a comprehensive program of diet, exercise, nutritional supplements, and stress management-to replace or cut down your dependence on medication * Dr. Whitaker's Quick Start Diet-to decrease dangerously high blood pressure fast * over 30 easy recipes for delicious, low-fat, healthy...
	The DASH Diet for Hypertension by Thomas Moore (Author), Mark Jenkins (Author) IN A 2011 RANKING PUBLISHED IN U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, THE DASH DIET WAS RATED #1 BY A PANEL OF MEDICAL EXPERTS INCLUDING SPECIALISTS IN DIABETES AND HEART DISEASE— THE BEST OVERALL DIET AND THE BEST DIET FOR DIABETES! More than 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, and most of them control it by taking prescription drugs with potentially dangerous side effects; and nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes. But there is a natural and affordable alternative for managing these potentially deadly conditions, reducing your risk of heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease, and achieving the best health of your life: the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Developed by a world-class team of doctors and nutritionists, the DASH diet gives you: • Complete...
	Hypertension Essentials 2010 by Norman M. Kaplan (Author), Michael A. Weber (Author) The World's Leading Experts Provide all the 'Essentials' Needed to Manage Patients in the Office, on the Ward, and in the Intensive Care Unit! Hypertension affects hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide, including 60% of those over the age of 60. Proper treatment reduces by 30% the incidence and fatality from coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. Hypertension Essentials 2010 is a current, concise, and practical step-by-step guide to the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of hypertension. More than 50 clinical trials, common management pitfalls, and cardiovascular risk reduction measures are also described.
	Handbook of Hypertension by Mark Houston (Author) When treating hypertension, physicians now have a huge range of drugs from which to choose in formulating a management strategy. This accessible guide helps the busy clinician access specific information on available drugs as components of an integrated care plan.The Handbook of Hypertension is a comprehensive review of the evidence base for hypertension and associated disease, providing tables, figures, charts, and summaries of principal findings from clinical studies on hypertension – putting vital information within reach of the busy practitioner.Containing the most recent guidelines for global cardiovascular risk analysis and evidence-based reviews on important new advances and recent trials, consulting the Handbook of Hypertension will save precious time and improve patient...
	Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure (Harvard Medical School Guides) by Aggie Casey (Author), Herbert Benson (Author) An innovative approach to lowering blood pressure that builds on the national bestseller The Relaxation Response For the 100 million people worldwide dealing with high blood pressure, bestselling author Dr. Herbert Benson and cardiac wellness expert Aggie Casey have created a proven plan for lowering blood pressure. Based on the groundbreaking work done at the Mind/Body Medical Institute, the authors' program goes beyond advice about nutrition and exercise to incorporate a proven stress-management program--including the relaxation response.
	101 Questions and Answers About Hypertension by William M. Manger (Author), Norman M. Kaplan (Author) Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects an estimated 50 million Americans and is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Through proper management the effects of hypertension can be minimized. Dr. William Manger's 101 Questions & Answers About Hypertension is a comprehensive Q&A format book providing the reader all the information they need to help manage hypertension and prevent its often lethal effects. 101 Questions & Answers About Hypertension answers all the most important questions about hypertension and its relationship to other diseases, from hypothyroidism and Alzheimer's to arteriosclerosis and preeclampsia, among others. It also has suggestions for positive lifestyle changes as well as information on...
	Healing Hypertension: A Revolutionary New Approach (Health) by Samuel J. Mann (Author) A PIONEERING APPROACH TO OVERCOMING HIGH BLOOD PRESSUREIf you are one of the millions of people diagnosed with high blood pressure, this groundbreaking book can change your life. Unique in combining a medical and a psychological approach, Samuel J. Mann, M.D., explains:How you can tell whether or not your high blood pressure is related to emotionsHow to find the medication best suited for you, and when to reduce or eliminate unnecessary medicationHow exploring "hidden" or repressed emotions can reduce your blood pressure and the need for medicationFeaturing compelling and instructive case histories as well as the latest medical research, Healing Hypertension can help you make sense of your high blood pressure while offering new choices for controlling it."In Healing Hypertension, Dr....