News - Hypertension Week of Jan. 19, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 03

Study: African Americans Less Aware of High Blood Pressure Risks

African Americans with hypertension generally are poorly aware of how to treat and control their condition, according to a study reported in the Jan. 14th issue of Neurology.

Researchers looked at the medical histories, physical exams and lab tests of 1,086 study participants. Although 87 percent reported a history of hypertension, fewer than three-fourths of those took antihypertensive medication.

Of those taking antihypertensive medication, 70 percent still had elevated blood pressure. Of the patients with no reported history of hypertension and no use of medications, more than half had elevated blood pressure.

"Our data indicate poor rates of awareness, treatment and control of diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol among study participants -- African Americans with previous stroke at the time of study enrollment," said study author Sean Ruland, of Rush University in Chicago.

Ruland said these rates are comparable to the community at-large and are entirely unsatisfactory considering the increasing evidence that heart disease and stroke can be prevented with vigilant risk factor management.

American Academy of Neurology