Image Source: DAIC
May 16, 2024 Story by: Editor
An NIH-funded study indicates that addressing social determinants of health could mitigate health disparities. The research found that adverse economic and social conditions significantly increase the likelihood of developing treatment-resistant hypertension, a condition where patients require three or more types of anti-hypertensive medications daily. This risk is notably higher among Black American adults compared to white American adults, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Key factors contributing to this increased risk include having less than a high school education, a household income below $35,000, lack of social interactions, absence of a caregiver, lack of health insurance, residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood, and living in states with low public health infrastructure. Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension is associated with a higher risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and all-cause mortality.
Over a 9.5-year period, 24% of Black adults developed this condition compared to 15.9% of white adults. Both groups were affected by adverse social determinants of health, but Black adults are more likely to encounter these challenges. Researchers suggest that addressing these social determinants could help reduce the racial disparities in apparent treatment-resistant hypertension and decrease the risk of stroke and heart attack among Black Americans.
The study analyzed data from 2,257 Black and 2,774 white adults as part of a larger research project involving over 30,000 Americans, with about half residing in the “Stroke Belt” in the southeastern United States, where stroke mortality rates are higher.
The NINDS Office of Global Health and Health Disparities is actively developing strategies to promote health equity. In August 2023, a supplement of 10 manuscripts was published, offering recommendations for addressing social determinants of health. The MIND’s Mind Your Risks® campaign, launched in 2016, emphasizes the link between high blood pressure and dementia, particularly among Black men aged 28-45, and provides strategies for preventing and mitigating the effects of high blood pressure on brain and cardiovascular health. Source: NIH
