Is the blood pressure of people from African origin adults in the UK higher or lower than that in European origin white people? A review of cross-sectional data

Journal of Human Hypertension (2003) 17, 523534

& 2003 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 0950-9240/03 $25.00www.nature.com/jhhORIGINAL ARTICLEIs the blood pressure of people from

African origin adults in the UK higher or

lower than that in European origin white

people? A review of cross-sectional dataCharles Agyemang1 and Raj Bhopal21Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; 2Public

Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, Teviot Place,

Edinburgh, UKThe aim of the study was to review published evidence

on whether blood pressure (BP) levels and the prevalence of hypertension are higher in adult populations

of African descent living in the UK as compared to the

white population. A systematic literature review was

carried out using MEDLINE 19662002 and EMBASE

19802002 and citations from references. In all, 14

studies were identified. Nearly all studies were carried

out in the London area. The data showed important

differences between studies in terms of age and sex of

samples, definition of African/black and methods

of evaluating BP. A total of 10 studies reported higher

mean systolic BPs, while 11 studies reported higher

mean diastolic BPs in men from African descent

compared to white men. In women, 10 of 12 studies

reported higher systolic, and 10 of 12 studies reported

higher diastolic BPs. For prevalence of hypertension,

eight of 10 studies reported higher rates in men fromAfrican descent; eight of nine studies showed higher

rates of hypertension in women from African descent.

Overall, the most representative sample and up-to-date

data came from the Health Survey for England 99.

Ethnic group differences in BP were not present in the

younger age groups. Women of African descent had

higher BP and higher body mass index (BMI). In men of

African descent high BP did not coincide with higher

BMI. In conclusion, the reported higher rates of

hypertension in people from African descent in the UK

are confirmatory of the USA African-American and white

comparisons. Variations in study methods, size and

body composition, and in the mix of Afro-Caribbean and

West African groups explain much of the inconsistent

results in the UK studies.Journal of Human Hypertension (2003) 17, 523534.

doi:10.1038/sj.jhh.1001586Keywords: ethnic variations; African descent; blood pressure; race; hypertensionIntroductionHypertensive diseases and stroke are among the

dominant causes...