Why Hypertension Is More Lethal For African Americans

Blacks with high blood pressure were found to be twice as likely to suffer sudden cardiac death compared to other racial groups. A study published in HeartRhythm found that this was the case regardless of other other factors such as age, gender, family history, weight, diabetes or previous history of heart disease. What they don’t mention is that blacks are also at significantly increased risk for having obstructive sleep apnea, which more than doubles one’s chances of having a heart attack or stroke. I wish more studies like this would also control for the presence of obstructive sleep apnea. 


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One thought on “Why Hypertension Is More Lethal For African Americans

  1. Dr. Park;
    What do you see specifically in blacks in terms of their upper airways, that predisposes to OSA?