Blacks And Uncontrolled Hypertension

'Blacks and uncontrolled hypertension' has been one of the popular areas of research in the United States of America. This is because hypertension is one of the most common maladies in America and at least 25 per cent of the hypertensive patients fail to maintain their blood pressure at a healthy level.

Among them Blacks are well known for their uncontrolled level of hypertension as several studies have shown. Blood pressure level above 140/90 is called high blood pressure level or hypertension condition.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has estimated that amongst the sixteen thousand people surveyed at least 27 percent people had high blood pressure condition. Among them 23 percent people were taking medication to control hypertension and the rest were not fully aware of their high blood pressure condition.

It was found that people of black origin had the highest probability of uncontrolled high blood pressure condition. Most of these blacks were male and had not checked in with any doctor even once. They had poor control over their hypertension condition. Most of these blacks were of the age of 65 or above.

One pattern that was readily apparent among blacks was that their systolic blood pressure was much higher than the upper acceptable limit. The Framingham Heart Study has recently concluded that uncontrolled blood pressure condition among blacks is almost 42 to 45 percent in America and this figure is highest in the world.

The black population was found to be at a higher risk of hypertension on account of several risk factors such as obesity, smoking, diabetes and other concomitant diseases. They are more prone to hypertension at a younger stage and are less responsive to the drug therapy due to the genetic and racial differences in terms of rennin angiotensin.

In comparison to whites they are at greater risk of fatal and nonfatal stroke and heart diseases. Medications like atenolol, captopril and verapamil have been found to be effective in treating the uncontrolled blood pressure level of the black population.