Differences in Hypertension Between Blacks and Whites: an Overview

Overview

Journal Cardiovasc J Afr

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2007 Oct 18

PMID 17940670

Citations 47

Authors

Jane Lindhorst

Nichole Alexander

Juliet Blignaut

Brian Rayner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Hypertension is more prevalent and severe in urban black populations compared to whites, and is associated with a greater degree of target-organ damage for any given blood pressure level. In general, compared to whites, blacks respond well to diuretics and calcium channel blockers and less well to beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors. The exact mechanisms that contribute to differences in blood pressure between blacks and whites are still not fully understood, given the multi-factorial aetiology of essential hypertension. Various lines of evidence suggest black patients are more salt sensitive than whites, which is due to a tendency to retain sodium in the kidney. Inherent differences in ionic transport mechanisms, the renal epithelial sodium channel, the reninangiotensin-aldosterone system and vasoactive substances may be a partial explanation, but analysis is compounded by disparate socio-economic conditions between blacks and whites. At present, there is no complete explanation for these differences and further research is required.

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