January 1, 1993Open Access
View Full PaperLevel of control of hypertension in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites.
Key Result
Mexican American hypertensive subjects (n=358) had significantly poorer blood pressure control compared to non-Hispanic white subjects (n=241) after adjusting for covariates.
Study Design
Type
Observational (n=599)
Structured PICO
Is hypertension control poorer in Mexican Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites?
P
Population
599 hypertensive subjects (358 Mexican Americans and 241 non-Hispanic whites) from the San Antonio Heart Study. Hypertension defined as systolic blood pressure >= 160 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure >= 95 mm Hg, or current use of antihypertensive medications.
I
Intervention
Mexican American ethnicity
C
Comparator
Non-Hispanic white ethnicity
O
Outcome
Poor hypertension control (defined as systolic blood pressure >= 160 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure >= 95 mm Hg, or both)surrogate
Mexican Americans with hypertension have significantly poorer blood pressure control compared to non-Hispanic whites, highlighting an important ethnic disparity in cardiovascular risk management.
Limitations
- The reasons for the poorer blood pressure control in Mexican Americans are unknown.
Abstract
Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Mexican Americans have a higher prevalence of diabetes, greater adiposity, and an unfavorable body fat distribution. The prevalence of hypertension, however, is similar or lower in Mexican Americans than in non-Hispanic whites. There is little information on the level of blood pressure control in Mexican Americans. We compared the mean blood pressure levels of Mexican American and non-Hispanic white hypertensive subjects in the San Antonio Heart Study, a population-based study of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Hypertension was defined as one or more of a systolic blood pressure > or = 160 mm Hg, a diastolic blood pressure > or = 95 mm Hg, and current use of antihypertensive medications. Three hundred and fifty-eight Mexican Americans and 241 non-Hispanic whites met these criteria. Poor hypertension control was defined as a systolic blood pressure > or = 160, a diastolic blood pressure > or = 95 mm Hg, or both. After adjustment for age, gender, obesity, body fat distribution, and level of educational attainment, Mexican American hypertensive subjects were in significantly poorer control than non-Hispanic white hypertensive subjects. The reasons for their poorer control are unknown, but our findings emphasize the importance of hypertension in this ethnic group.