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Higher blood pressures among African Americans - genes not likely to be an explanation
December 31, 2004Genetics may not be enough to explain the rates of high blood pressure in US African-American populations, according to new research published today in BMC Medicine. The international study gives a different interpretation to the previous US data and suggests that high rates of hypertension might have more to do with lifestyle and socio-economic background than with racial origin.
Previous studies in the US, and to a lesser extent the UK, have shown that populations of African descent are much more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, and related conditions such as obesity and stroke, than white populations of European descent. This led to the assumption that individuals of African origin have a genetic predisposition to hypertension. However, this assumption was based solely on data collected in the US and had never been confirmed by international studies on other black populations.
Richard Cooper and his team, from Loyola University Strich School of Medicine in Illinois, compared standardised surveys of blood pressure from black populations in Nigeria, Jamaica and the US, and white populations from the US, Canada and 5 European countries. The study showed that there is a wide variation in the prevalence of hypertension within both racial groups when viewed internationally. In populations of African origin it ranges from 14% to 44%, while in white populations it goes from 27% to 55%.
Most importantly, the study revealed that black populations from Nigeria have a hypertension rate that is more than half the rate found in white Europeans and Americans. The results also show that incidence of high blood pressure seems to increase with the transition to an industrialized lifestyle: the total prevalence in Nigerian adults age 35 to 64 is 13.5%, while in Jamaicans it is 28.6% and in US blacks it is 44%.
"These data suggest that the impact of environmental factors among both populations may have been under-estimated" write the authors. They add that "the question of inherent susceptibility is probably non-testable under any circumstances" and argue that rather than trying to solve this question we should concentrate on identifying and preventing possible causes of hypertension, which are likely to be the same regardless of racial origin.
BioMed Central Limited
Most importantly, the study revealed that black populations from Nigeria have a hypertension rate that is more than half the rate found in white Europeans and Americans. The results also show that incidence of high blood pressure seems to increase with the transition to an industrialized lifestyle: the total prevalence in Nigerian adults age 35 to 64 is 13.5%, while in Jamaicans it is 28.6% and in US blacks it is 44%.
"These data suggest that the impact of environmental factors among both populations may have been under-estimated" write the authors. They add that "the question of inherent susceptibility is probably non-testable under any circumstances" and argue that rather than trying to solve this question we should concentrate on identifying and preventing possible causes of hypertension, which are likely to be the same regardless of racial origin.
BioMed Central Limited
Hypertension Current Events and Hypertension News RSSPotassium loss from blood pressure drugs may explain higher risk of adult diabetes
Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a drop in blood potassium levels caused by diuretics commonly prescribed for high blood pressure could be the reason why people on those drugs are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and cancer give clues to new therapies
Cardiovascular conditions leading to heart attacks and strokes are treated quite separately from common cancers of the prostate, breast or lung, but now turn out to involve some of the same critical mechanisms at the molecular level.
Very low birth weight is a risk factor for 1 cause of CKD
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Routine Testing After Aneurysm Coiling Carries Low Risk
A very low risk of complication is associated with a routine test that determines whether a brain aneurysm treated with endovascular coiling has started to recur, a study led by the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute has shown.
Low risk for heart attack? Could an ultrasound hold the answer?
By adding the results of an imaging technique to the traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease, doctors at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found they were able to improve prediction of heart attacks in people previously considered low risk.
Study shows direct link between leptin and obesity-related cardiovascular disease
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Low-dose aspirin does not appear to reduce risk of CV events in patients with diabetes
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Pregnancy diabetes doubles the risk of language delay in children
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Pregnancy disorder signals need to screen for heart disease, study shows
High blood pressure experienced during pregnancy could be a woman's earliest warning that she is at risk of developing heart disease - the number one killer of Canadian women - says Queen's University professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graeme Smith.
Mounting evidence shows health benefits of grape polyphenols
A growing body of research data suggests that consuming foods rich in polyphenols from grapes, including red wine, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a review article in the November issue of Nutrition Research.
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