Prevalence of Hypertension and Associated Risk Factors in Western Alaska Native People: The Western Alaska Tribal Collaborative for Health (WATCH) Study

Overview

Journal J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich)

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2015 Feb 4

PMID 25644577

Citations 14

Authors

Stacey E Jolly

Kathryn R Koller

Jesse S Metzger

Gretchen M Day

Angela Silverman

Scarlett E Hopkins

Melissa A Austin

Bernadette Boden-Albala

Sven O E Ebbesson

Bert B Boyer

Barbara V Howard

Jason G Umans

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Hypertension is a common chronic disease and a key risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. The Western Alaska Tribal Collaborative for Health study consolidates baseline data from four major cohorts residing in the Norton Sound and Yukon-Kuskokwim regions of western Alaska. This consolidated cohort affords an opportunity for a systematic analysis of high blood pressure and its correlates in a unique population with high stroke rates over a wide age range. While the prevalence of hypertension among western Alaska Native people (30%, age-standardized) is slightly less than that of the US general population (33%), cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in this rural population. The authors found that improvement is needed in hypertension awareness as about two thirds (64%) of patients reported awareness and only 39% with hypertension were controlled on medication. Future analyses assessing risk and protective factors for incident hypertension in this population are indicated.

Citing Articles

Alaska Native Parents' Decision-Making About Food, Beverages, and Screen Time for Young Children: Formative Insights From the "Got Neqpiaq?" Project.

Ohle K, Koller K, Walch A, Lee F, Palmer L, Nu J Fam Community Health. 2023; 46(4):250-258.

PMID: 37703513 PMC: 10502956. DOI: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000370.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Hypertension and Hypertension Medication Adherence Among Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups: A Scoping Review.

Foster M, Etchin A, Pope C, Hartmann C, Emidio O, Bosworth H Curr Hypertens Rep. 2023; 25(11):385-394.

PMID: 37624472 DOI: 10.1007/s11906-023-01262-4.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Women: The Impact of Race and Ethnicity: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Mehta L, Velarde G, Lewey J, Sharma G, Bond R, Navas-Acien A Circulation. 2023; 147(19):1471-1487.

PMID: 37035919 PMC: 11196122. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001139.

Obesity-Associated Dyslipidemia Is Moderated by Habitual Intake of Marine-Derived n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Yup'ik Alaska Native People: A Cross-Sectional Mediation-Moderation Analysis.

Boyer B, Wiener H, Hopkins S, Purnell J, OBrien D, Aliwarga T J Nutr. 2023; 153(1):279-292.

PMID: 36913463 PMC: 10196570. DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.10.009.

Patient and primary care perspectives on hypertension management: short report of a qualitative study in a tribal health system.

Schaefer K, Todd M, Trinidad S, Robinson R, Dillard D Int J Circumpolar Health. 2022; 81(1):2049054.

PMID: 35285773 PMC: 8928790. DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2022.2049054.

References

. Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) final report. Circulation. 2002; 106(25):3143-421. View

Murphy N, Schraer C, Theile M, Boyko E, Bulkow L, Doty B . Hypertension in Alaska Natives: association with overweight, glucose intolerance, diet and mechanized activity. Ethn Health. 1998; 2(4):267-75. DOI: 10.1080/13557858.1997.9961835. View

Rhoades D . Racial misclassification and disparities in cardiovascular disease among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Circulation. 2005; 111(10):1250-6. DOI: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000157735.25005.3F. View

Go A, Mozaffarian D, Roger V, Benjamin E, Berry J, Borden W . Heart disease and stroke statistics--2013 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2012; 127(1):e6-e245. PMC: 5408511. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0b013e31828124ad. View

Lewington S, Clarke R, Qizilbash N, Peto R, Collins R . Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality: a meta-analysis of individual data for one million adults in 61 prospective studies. Lancet. 2002; 360(9349):1903-13. DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(02)11911-8. View

Chobanian A, Bakris G, Black H, Cushman W, Green L, Izzo Jr J . The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure: the JNC 7 report. JAMA. 2003; 289(19):2560-72. DOI: 10.1001/jama.289.19.2560. View

Howard B, Devereux R, Cole S, Davidson M, Dyke B, Ebbesson S . A genetic and epidemiologic study of cardiovascular disease in Alaska natives (GOCADAN): design and methods. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2005; 64(3):206-21. DOI: 10.3402/ijch.v64i3.17985. View

Bersamin A, Luick B, King I, Stern J, Zidenberg-Cherr S . Westernizing diets influence fat intake, red blood cell fatty acid composition, and health in remote Alaskan Native communities in the center for Alaska Native health study. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008; 108(2):266-73. PMC: 6542563. DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2007.10.046. View

Howard B, Lee E, Yeh J, Go O, Fabsitz R, Devereux R . Hypertension in adult American Indians. The Strong Heart Study. Hypertension. 1996; 28(2):256-64. DOI: 10.1161/01.hyp.28.2.256. View

10.

Kolahdooz F, Simeon D, Ferguson G, Sharma S . Development of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire for use among the Yup'ik people of Western Alaska. PLoS One. 2014; 9(6):e100412. PMC: 4070930. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100412. View

11.

Acton K, Preston S, Rith-Najarian S . Clinical hypertension in Native Americans: a comparison of 1987 and 1992 rates from ambulatory care data. Public Health Rep. 1996; 111 Suppl 2:33-6. PMC: 1381660. View

12.

. Vital signs: awareness and treatment of uncontrolled hypertension among adults--United States, 2003-2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012; 61:703-9. View

13.

Redwood D, Lanier A, Johnston J, Asay E, Slattery M . Chronic disease risk factors among Alaska Native and American Indian people, Alaska, 2004-2006. Prev Chronic Dis. 2010; 7(4):A85. PMC: 2901583. View

14.

Bjerregaard P, Dewailly E, Young T, Blanchet C, Hegele R, Ebbesson S . Blood pressure among the Inuit (Eskimo) populations in the Arctic. Scand J Public Health. 2003; 31(2):92-9. DOI: 10.1080/14034940210133924. View

15.

Valera B, Ayotte P, Poirier P, Dewailly E . Associations between plasma persistent organic pollutant levels and blood pressure in Inuit adults from Nunavik. Environ Int. 2013; 59:282-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.06.019. View

16.

Howard B, Metzger J, Koller K, Jolly S, Asay E, Wang H . All-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in western Alaska Native people: western Alaska Tribal Collaborative for Health (WATCH). Am J Public Health. 2014; 104(7):1334-40. PMC: 4056205. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301614. View

17.

Howard B, Comuzzie A, Devereux R, Ebbesson S, Fabsitz R, Howard W . Cardiovascular disease prevalence and its relation to risk factors in Alaska Eskimos. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009; 20(5):350-8. PMC: 2981096. DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2009.04.010. View

18.

Koller K, Wolfe A, Metzger J, Austin M, Hopkins S, Kaufmann C . Utilizing harmonization and common surveillance methods to consolidate 4 cohorts: the Western Alaska Tribal Collaborative for Health (WATCH) study. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2013; 72. PMC: 3644062. DOI: 10.3402/ijch.v72i0.20572. View

19.

Valera B, Jorgensen M, Jeppesen C, Bjerregaard P . Exposure to persistent organic pollutants and risk of hypertension among Inuit from Greenland. Environ Res. 2013; 122:65-73. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.12.006. View

20.

Brega A, Ang A, Vega W, Jiang L, Beals J, Mitchell C . Mechanisms underlying the relationship between health literacy and glycemic control in American Indians and Alaska Natives. Patient Educ Couns. 2012; 88(1):61-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2012.03.008. View