Measure Up Pressure Down American Medical Group Foundation

Health Disparities and High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure affects everyone, but age, gender, race, or ethnicity may cause some people to be more at risk for the disease than others.

It’s important to remember that, although you can’t control the above risk factors, there are some factors you can control. Having risk factors does not mean you are destined to have the disease.

Download our African Americans & High Blood Pressure factsheet and Hispanics & High Blood Pressure factsheet for more information.

African American Adults

As the chart below shows, the disease is seen more often among African American adults than among White and Mexican American adults.

In relation to Caucasian or Hispanic American adults, African Americans:

• Tend to get high blood pressure earlier in life
• Often have more severe high blood pressure
• Are more likely to be aware that they have high blood pressure and to get treatment
• Are less likely to achieve target control levels with high blood pressure treatment than Caucasians
• Have higher rates of early death from high blood pressure-related problems, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure than Caucasians

Hispanic American Adults

Among Hispanic American adults, high blood pressure risks vary by group. For instance, Puerto Rican American adults have higher rates of high blood pressure-related death than all other Hispanic groups and Caucasians. However, Cuban Americans have lower rates of high blood pressure-related deaths than Caucasians.

Asian American/Pacific Islander Adults

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have among the lowest rates of high blood pressure, at 9.7% for men and 8.4% for women.