High Blood Pressure Worse in African Americans than in White Men

African American men are developing hypertension early and with little outward sign, according to a new study.

Young and healthy African-American men have higher central blood pressure and their blood vessels are stiffer compared to their white counterparts.

While the study found that central blood pressure -- the pressure in the aorta, near the heart -- was higher in the African-American men, the study found no difference in brachial blood pressure -- measured on the arm -- between the two groups.

Taken together, the findings suggest that hypertension (high blood pressure) may be developing undetected in young African-American men and that measuring central blood pressure may be a better means of detecting the problem as it develops.

“Central blood pressure holds greater prognostic value than conventional brachial blood pressure as central pressure more aptly reflects the load encountered by the heart,” the authors explained.

“Thus, brachial blood pressure may neglect important information on cardiovascular burden and response to therapy in African-American men.”

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The study, “Racial differences in central blood pressure and vascular function in young men” was carried out by Kevin S. Heffernan, Sae Young Jae, Kenneth R. Wilund, Jeffrey A. Woods and Bo Fernhall, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.