Study Focuses On Blood Pressure Race Gaps
Posted on: Tuesday, 11 November 2008, 14:45 CST
Researchers were surprised at new findings that showed the number of lives lost due to a blood pressure gap between black and white Americans.
Black Americans are known to have typically higher blood pressure levels than white Americans. But researchers found that if this gap was tightened, they could save almost 8,000 lives each year.
The study, released in the Annals of Family Medicine marks the first of its kind to actually calculate the number of lives lost due to racial disparities in blood pressure control.
"We expected it to be big, but it was even larger than we anticipated," said the lead author, Dr. Kevin Fiscella of the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry.
Fiscella and his colleague Kathleen Holt based their calculations on earlier research that finds that about 40 percent of black adults have high blood pressure, compared with about 30 percent of whites.
They took estimates of how each point of increased blood pressure affects the likelihood of death, and put it in a formula that included the difference in black and white blood pressure readings.
They found those differences caused about 5,500 extra deaths from heart disease and about 2,200 deaths from stroke each year.
A second study in the same journal found that racial differences in blood pressure treatment were also present in England despite a national health system that provides equal access to care.
Researchers looked at the electronic medical records of about 8,900 patients in southwest London, who are covered by that country's national health insurance system.
They found black patients with high blood pressure had significantly higher readings than white or Asian patients, even though blacks were prescribed more medications.
Christopher Millett of the Imperial College of London said it might not be the doctor’s fault.
Some black patients may not be taking prescribed medicines or following medical advice, Milett said.
However, another researcher said it is unfair to blame the patient.
"'Compliance' to me is a hateful word. It says, 'I the great doctor and we the great health care service inform you what needs to be done and you don't do it because you're stupid, you're incompetent'... I don't accept that at all," said Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, professor emeritus of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
Doctors have noted a gap in blood pressure between black Americans and white Americans for decades, often attributing it to poverty and cultural habits.
"It's very clear we need to target our efforts to differences in" how well patients follow medical advice, said Satcher, who is now an administrator at Atlanta's Morehouse School of Medicine.
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Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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