How Much Cardiovascular Disease Among Black Adults is Attributable to Hypertension?

Estimating the proportion of cardiovascular disease (CVD) cases among black adults associated with hypertension was the focus of this observational study. The analysis included data on nearly 12,500 black adults in the United States, of whom 9,633 had hypertension.

Researchers calculated population-attributable risk, which represents the proportion of cases of a disease in a population attributed to a risk factor.

The findings suggest nearly one-third (32.5%) of CVD cases were associated with hypertension. Interventions to maintain normal blood pressure throughout life may help reduce CVD among black adults. This suggests that public health campaigns to prevent hypertension should be considered in order to reduce the rate of cardiovascular disease. 

Paul Muntner, Ph.D., the study's senior author, is available for interviews. The study is published in JAMA.