AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN AND HYPERTENSION
Hypertension simply means high blood pressure.
Your heart pumps blood to the rest of your body through your arteries which are basically like small tubes. Your blood pressure refers to the force of your blood against the inside of your arteries. A high blood pressure means that your heart is working extra hard to pump blood to the rest of your body. This also means that your blood is pushing even harder against the inside of your arteries, making them hard and narrow.
African Americans have the highest rate of hypertension when compared to other ethnic groups.
- 2 out 5 African Americans have hypertension.
- Over half (65%) of African American men over the age of 60 have hypertension.
RISK FACTORS:
- Being African American
- Family History of Hypertension
- Too Much Stress
- Having Diabetes
- Not Enough Exercise
- Drinking Alcohol / Smoking
- 45 years or older
|
Normal Range |
Pre-Hypertension |
High Blood Pressure |
|
|
Systolic Pressure Top Number |
Less Than 120 |
120-139 |
140 or Higher |
|
Diastolic Pressure Bottom Number |
Less Than 80 |
80-89 |
90 or High |
|
Management and Prevention |
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*Improve your diet: Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables & low-fat dairy products. Limit your sodium, increase your calcium and potassium |
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*Medications : See “Treatment” |
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*Exercise regularly: Losing weight may help lower your blood pressure |
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*Quit smoking: Your blood pressure increases for 30 minutes after a single cigarette is smoked. |
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MAJOR COMPLICATIONS |
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|
Stroke |
Hypertension is the # 1 modifiable risk factor for stroke. Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death among all African Americans. Black men are twice as likely to die from stroke as Whites |
|
Kidney Failure |
Hypertension causes blood vessels in the kidney to narrow, causing the kidneys to fail. African Americans are nearly 4 times more likely than Whites to develop kidney failure. Black men ages 30 to 39 are about 14 times more likely to develop kidney failure from high blood pressure than White men in the same age group. |
|
Heart Disease |
Heart disease is the #1 leading cause of death among all African Americans. Hypertension can directly lead to heart disease, including heart attack and heart failure. |
Treatment
Medications Used To Manage Hypertension
African Americans are more responsive to some medications than others:
- Diuretics are medications that increase the frequency of urination. African Americans, who are more likely to be salt-sensitive, respond as well or better than Whites to diuretics. So, diuretics should be the first choice of medication to treat hypertension. African Americans respond best to a specific type of diuetrics, called thiazides.
- In addition to thiazide diuretics, Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are also an effective medication for treating hypertension in African Americans.
- However, Beta blockers and ACE inhibitors don’t work as well in African Americans as they do for other ethnic groups.