One-Pager: African American Hypertension Reduction Strategies
Hypertension (HTN) is more prevalent and detrimental in African-Americans than any other ethnic group. From a 2010 report, the Blacks prevalent was 39.1%, whereas non-Hispanic formed 28.5% (Nesbitt, 2009). The mortality rate follows a similar trend. Over 40% of African-Americans with HTN succumb from it, while less than 16% of non-Hispanic are affected (Nesbitt, 2009).
- Blacks are more affected due to underlying comorbid diseases, physical inactivity, and physiological make-up; highly sensitive to salt (Williams et al., 2016).
- Uncontrolled hypertension can result in heart and kidney problems in the victim. To the economy, it leads to costs of over $48 billion annually (CDC, 2018).
- Ways of controlling HTN are through diet, lifestyle changes, and medication.
Regulations
National High Blood Pressure Education Program was implemented over four decades ago, and by 2002, it increased the awareness of HTN to 73%, which, in turn, increased American’s lives (Jones & Hall, 2002). Another policy used in the nation is the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI). Here, the salt intake is reduced in the population. Lastly, there is the Tobacco Policy that creates an environment where quitting and non-smoking are the best choices to make (Angell et al., 2014).
Policy Options
Medication research and education
A variety of medications – diuretics, alpha-blockers, angiotensin receptor antagonists, calcium channel blockers, among others – exist that are used to manage HTN in the Blacks. However, current evidence points out that low-dose thiazide diuretic is more effective for Black hypertensive than the whites (CDC, 2018). Approximately one year is enough to confirm the notion and educate the healthcare providers. The advantage of this method is that educating the providers can be done in seminars. Nonetheless, the approach will not have preventive agendas.
Creation of Awareness through a population-based approach
The NSRI program should focus on cities with densely populated African-Americans. The span of action is approximately six months, as the records of populated cities are readily available. The good thing with this approach is that the guidelines are already defined, though it involves multiple stakeholders – media, patients, physicians, and the public.
References
Nesbitt, S. D. (2009). Management of hypertension in African-Americans. US Cardiology, 6(2), 59-62.
Williams, S. K., Ravenell, J., Seyedali, S., Nayef, H., & Ogedegbe, G. (2016). Hypertension treatment in Blacks: Discussion of the US clinical practice guidelines. Progress in cardiovascular diseases, 59(3), 282-288.
CDC. (2018, June 8). Health topics – High blood pressure. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/policy/polaris/healthtopics/highbloodpressure.html
Jones, D. W., & Hall, J. E. (2002). The national high blood pressure education program: thirty years and counting.
Angell, S., Levings, J., Neiman, A., Asma, S., & Merritt, R. (2014). How Policy Makers Can Advance Cardiovascular Health. Scientific American, 2014(Suppl Spec), 24.