Img source: www.miragenews.com
May 16, 2024 Story by: Publisher
Research indicates a correlation between the prevalence of treatment-resistant hypertension and adverse economic and social conditions, collectively known as social determinants of health. Particularly, Black American adults face a higher risk of this condition compared to their white counterparts, as per findings from a study supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The study identified several factors associated with an elevated risk of apparent treatment-resistant hypertension, including limited education, low household income, social isolation, lack of caregiving support, absence of health insurance, residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and inadequate public health infrastructure. Notably, apparent treatment-resistant hypertension is characterized by the necessity of consuming three or more anti-hypertension medications daily and is linked to heightened risks of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and overall mortality.
Over a 9.5-year period, 24% of Black adults developed apparent treatment-resistant hypertension, contrasting with 15.9% of white adults. Both Black and white individuals faced an increased risk due to exposure to adverse social determinants of health, although the disparity is more pronounced among Black adults, who encounter these challenges at a higher rate.
Researchers underscore the importance of addressing social determinants of health to mitigate racial disparities in apparent treatment-resistant hypertension. By tackling these underlying factors, efforts can be made to reduce the heightened risks of stroke and heart attack prevalent among Black Americans.
The study analyzed data from 2,257 Black and 2,774 white adults, as part of a larger cohort comprising over 30,000 Americans, half of whom reside in the “Stroke Belt” in the southeastern United States, characterized by elevated stroke mortality rates. Source: Miragenews.com
The NINDS Office of Global Health and Health Disparities is actively devising strategies to promote health equity, with recent initiatives including the publication of 10 manuscripts in August 2023, offering recommendations for addressing social determinants of health. Additionally, the NINDS’s Mind Your Risks® campaign, launched in 2016, highlights the connection between hypertension and dementia, particularly among Black men aged 28-45, while providing strategies for prevention and mitigation.
[Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)]
