In the United States, most blacks can suffer from hypertension at the age of 55

(Reuters Health) – African-American men and women are more likely to develop high blood pressure at the average age than their white counterparts, suggests a US study.

About 76 percent of black adults may have high blood pressure at age 55, compared to 55 percent of white men and 40 percent of white women, the study authors estimate.

"We must pay attention to blood pressure at a younger age," said study author S. Justin Thomas of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

"Prevention is essential and, especially for blacks, we need to focus on a healthy lifestyle to prevent the development of hypertension," Thomas said by email.

To minimize the risk of high blood pressure or high blood pressure, people should maintain a healthy weight and do a lot of exercise, advises Thomas. They should also follow a diet that emphasizes cooking with unsaturated fats, eating nuts, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish and poultry, and limiting red meat and sugars added.

Obesity and family history of high blood pressure were among the factors associated with a higher risk of hypertension in black and white adults in the study, the researchers report in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

However, following a healthier diet for the heart more closely was associated with a lower risk of hypertension for black and white adults.

When they joined the study, between the ages of 18 and 30, none of the 3,890 study participants were hypertensive.

More than 30 years of follow-up, 2,040 participants, or 52 percent, developed high blood pressure. This included people who reported taking medication to treat high blood pressure as well as participants who had high blood pressure measurements during the exams.

Patients were classified as suffering from hypertension when the "higher number", known as systolic blood pressure (arterial pressure exerted on the arterial walls when the heart was beating), was, on average, abnormally high. at least 130 mmHG (millimeters of mercury).

They were also considered to be suffering from hypertension if the "lower number", known as diastolic blood pressure (the pressure against the arterial walls when the heart sits between beats), on average at least 80 mmHG.

Even though their blood pressure was low early in the study, black adults were still more likely to develop hypertension than whites.

For example, among participants who started with blood pressure less than 110/70 mmHG, black people were almost twice as likely to develop hypertension.

And among people on the verge of hypertension at the start of the study, with systolic readings of 120 to 129 mmHG and diastolic readings of 75 to 79 mmHG, blacks were 59% more likely to develop hypertension.

The study was not a controlled experiment aimed at proving whether or how race or ethnicity might influence the risk of developing hypertension. Researchers also have data only on black and white adults, and the results may be different for other ethnic groups.

Still, the results confirm that black adults have a high risk of developing hypertension and emphasize the importance of early prevention efforts, said Dr. Clyde Yancy, Chief of Cardiology at Feinberg School of Medicine from Northwestern University in Chicago. .

"It is unreasonable to consider screening at the population level among young adults, but it is not unreasonable to appreciate how changes in diet and nutrition are occurring. Physical activity can delay and perhaps even reduce hypertension. " the study, said by email. "Always better to prevent than to treat."

SOURCE: bit.ly/2zJWftN Journal of the American Heart Association, Online July 11, 2018.