Blood pressure problems, kidney diseases more
prevalent in low income areas: Study
People enrolled in a large clinical hypertension
management trial were half as likely to control their blood pressure if they
received care at clinics and primary care practices in low-income areas,
suggests a study. The study was published in JAHA: Journal of the
American Heart Association. Participants in a low-income area had a 25 per
cent higher chance of dying from any cause and a 25 per cent higher likelihood
of hospitalisation and death related to heart failure over the course of the
study period, than those receiving care in higher-income areas.
In addition, participants at low-income sites also had
an 86 per cent higher likelihood of developing end-stage kidney disease and were
30 per cent less likely to receive a procedure performed to open the blood
vessels to the heart for patients experiencing chest pain or heart attack.
The findings are based on data obtained from the
Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial
(ALLHAT) which compared the effectiveness of three blood pressure lowering
drugs. The study used 140/90 mm Hg as the threshold for high blood pressure,
while the American Heart Association recognizes high blood pressure as 130/80
mm Hg. Researchers know that living in low-income areas is associated with
higher rates of high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke. The new study
explored whether cardiovascular outcomes vary by socioeconomic factors in a
randomised clinical trial in which participants are treated equally.
“While medications are the mainstay of hypertension control, there are other factors that
we need to pay attention to that are impacting blood pressure control, and the
ultimate outcomes we care about – heart disease, stroke, hospitalisation and
longevity,” said Erica Spatz, the study’s senior author. Participants in the
low-income areas were more likely to be female, black, Hispanic, have fewer years
of education. Participants in low-income areas also surprisingly had fewer
cardiovascular risk factors such as history of heart attack or stroke, Type 2
diabetes and cigarette smoking.
Our best life is the life in which we became the best version of
ourselves
Ryan Lui
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