Welcome

This site was created by Nicholl McGuire, Inspirational Speaker and Author. Feel free to comment, share links and subscribe. If you have a business or would like to guest post feel free to contact. Check out topics on this blog and select what interests you. They are found at the bottom of this page. Peace and Love.

Thursday

High Blood Pressure Causes in African Americans

More than 40 percent of African Americans suffer from high blood pressure, according to a study just released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Many theories exist about why black Americans experience higher levels of hypertension disease than other groups. One major study suggested a connection between high levels of uric acid and hypertension among blacks as a possible explanation. Researchers and medical professionals already know that excessive levels of uric acid are a major cause of kidney disease. African Americans also experience higher levels of kidney disease.
Other theories include a failure by bodily systems to eliminate excessive salt in the urine and the presence of higher levels of the hormone aldosterone. Let's look briefly at each of these.
Do High Uric Acid Levels Cause Hypertension?
Study results, published in the American Heart Association's Hypertension Journal in 2006, revealed a stronger connection between high uric acid levels and high blood pressure (HBP) among African Americans than for other groups. The level of uric acid in the body is influenced by diet. For example, eating large amounts of protein can increase uric acid levels.
Usually, uric acid is eliminated through urine. But, when the body produces excessive amounts of uric acid and the kidneys fail to remove enough of it, then it can build up in the blood.
None of the 9,104 participants in the study, conducted by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, had HBP when the study began. Participants represented multiple races and ethnic groups and ranged in age from 45 to 64. This was the first time that African Americans had been included in this type of study in numbers that were statistically significant. All participants' blood pressure and uric acid levels were examined every three years.
Participants whose uric acid levels registered in the highest quartile had an increased risk for high blood pressure of about 15 percent. The strongest link between uric acid and hypertension was found among black men. The interracial findings were particularly telling. African American women whose results registered in the highest quartile were at a 30 percent higher risk for hypertension than African American women who ranked in the lowest quartile. African American men in the highest percentile had double the risk of African American men in the lowest percentile.
The implications from the study suggest that if doctors can lower uric acid levels in patients, they might be able to prevent or control high blood pressure in black Americans and other groups with higher than normal levels. A blood test for uric acid levels could predict whether an individual was at risk.
Does Excessive Salt in the Urine Cause HBP?
In a healthy body, stress is relieved by the release of sodium into the bloodstream. That salt is then later removed from the body through urine. However, in a recent study, researchers found that this fail-safe system breaks down in about one-third of African American youths. The result is that excessive salt levels remain in the body, putting them at risk for high blood pressure now and as they grow older.
The study of 168 black and white youths by researchers at the Medical College of Georgia found significant differences between the functioning of this natural blood pressure regulator system in the two groups. The system, known as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAAS), works by instructing the kidneys to retain salt when blood pressure is too low and excrete it as urine when it is too high.
Researchers are doing further studies to determine whether a genetic mutation may interfere with the proper release of salts from the kidneys in African Americans.
Is Too Much Aldosterone the Cause?
Another possible cause may be aldosterone, according to a study conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that causes kidneys to retain salt.
The study, whose findings appeared in the September 17, 2009, edition of the American Journal of Hypertension, compared African Africans with HBP to those without it. The 224 blacks with HBP had statistically significant higher levels of aldosterone than the 217 blacks who did not have it.
The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for more than a decade, suggests that aldosterone not only contributes to high blood pressure but to heart, kidney, and blood vessel diseases among African Americans as well.
Researchers continue to study these and other theories that may one day reveal the key to preventing high blood pressure among all groups.
Copyright 2010 by High Blood Pressure Natural Remedies.
Sher Harrison researches and reports on health-related issues. 
at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Search This Blog

Labels

a abortion about this blog about us absent fathers abuse abusive men abusive women adopted black children affirmative action africa african american african american achievers african american art african american audio books african american authors african american beauty african american bloggers african american books african american bookstores african american brothers african american business african american celebrities african american children african american chinese african american christian women african american christians african american churches african american clothing styles african american communities african american community african american cuisine african american culture african american dating african american dating sites african american deceivers african american dining african american documentaries african american drama african american drug dealers african american education african american elite african american entertainment african american family african american fathers african american friendships african american gamers african american genealogy african american gifts african american girls african american gods african american grandparents african american grants african american hair loss african american haircare african american hairstyles african american health issues african american heritage african american heterosexuality african american history african american holidays african american home owners african american homosexuality african american idols african american inventors african american korea african american lawyers african american leaders african american lifestyle african american magazines african american marriages african american media african american men african american mental illness african american ministers african american models african american mothers african american movies african american museums african american music african american music videos african american natural hair african american news african american occult african american online surfing african american opinion african american paintings African American parade african american parents african american photographers african american photography african american poets african american police officers african american political prisoners african american preachers African American producers african american prostitution african american radio shows african american relationships african american religion african american researchers african american russia african american samoan african american scholarships african american self-hate african american sex african american singles african american skin care african american skincare african american soldiers african american sons african american speakers african american spirituality african american statistics african american studies african american television networks african american thinking african american thoughts african american tips african american toys african american transhumanists african american travel african american voters african american wealth african american weaves african american wigs african american women african american women groups African American women in science african american women inventors african american workers african american writers african americans african americans and africans african americans jail african americans respect african americans workers african americans workplace african art african consciousness african decor african food african history ai tools american holidays ancestry anger management angry angry black man angry black woman angry black women angry blacks atlanta aunt tammy banks Barack Obama be encouraged bible big girls biracial people birth control bisexual black men black alliance for just immigration black american ignorance black american quotations black american racism black art websites black athletes black attitudes black business black celebrities black celebrity children black celebrity masons black cinema black conscious community black conscious women black dating services black dolls black education black elite groups black English people black family black feminists black grandmothers black greek organizations black history black history month black inventors black love black men black men and white women black music black national anthem black nationalism black panthers party black people and summer time black people attitude black preachers black racists black radio stations black scholars black singles black sitcoms black skin black stereotypes black toys black women blacks with an attitude blessings and curses blog owner boule boxer brainwashed blacks celebrities and god cheating childhood childless women children activities chris brown chris rock christina milian civil rights civil war cold-blooded african americans colorism communication communication skills community assistance confrontation construction in haiti constructive criticism contract with black america controlling black folks controlling men controlling women counselors crazy blacks crisis dark skin dating dating violence death deceased black legends depression difficult people disorders diversity domestic violence down low celebrities dreaming eastern stars economics educated blacks education elderly black folks employment entrepreneur eugenics exes experiences faith family history family issues family secrets fat african americans fearful blacks fema camps financial assistance first black president food stamps fools fraternal organizations free stuff freemasons french african friendships funeral planning funny african americans funny black man funny black people funny black woman funny stuff gay black men generational curses ghetto gifted african americans going green good black men gospel music gossip government Haiti haiti earthquake haiti fault line happiness harlem haters helpful links hidden medical experiments high blood pressure highly sensitive blacks hip hop culture hip hop fashion homosexuals honest black folk housing assistance how to approach a black woman how to get exposure on this site human trafficking hurricane relief ignorant black people illuminati insecure women inspiration internet dating interracial relationships israel jaguar wright jamaicans jealous men jealous women jealousy jobs juneteenth keep it real kwanzaa laboring to love an abusive mate liars light skin lottery loud mouth blacks love lust lynching make money manhood manipulative media manmade earthquakes martin luther king barack obama medicine memorial day menopause mental issues michael jackson michael jackson children mother michelle obama mike tyson mike tyson daughter military mind control minority women scholarships misogyny modern day slavery money moors motivation multiracial celebrities music lyrics music videos narcissism natural disasters negro spirituals nelson mandela nicole richie nonblack not african american Obama obama campaign Obama sworn in obese black people offended blacks old school overweight african americans paranoid paranormal passing for white patience patti labelle paula abdul peace pedophilia perimenopause poems police poor african americans population control positivity post traumatic slave syndrome postpartum depression poverty prayers prejudice prescriptions president barack obama president elect barack obama prideful prostate cancer and black men protests racial problems racism racist republicans rappers rb music groups reality shows recycling reggae music relationships relatives religion revenge reverse discrimination rhianna rich african americans samples and trials SARS scammers scams scandalous pastors scary blacks schizophrenia secret societies self esteem self hate self righteous senator barack obama sex sexual harassment shopping siblings skin bleaching skull and bones slavery social issues social networking society sociopaths sometimey black folks soul food spiritual african americans spiritual warfare sports state of the union address strange black folks stubbornness superstition surveys terri seymore the man threats tired black man tired black woman toxic parents travel trends twitter uncle tom unemotional unemployment ungrateful black folks voter privacy war whistleblowers white american racism white people wisdom women friends work at home youtubers
Creative Commons License
African American Planet: Relationships, Education, Products & Lifestyle by Nicholl McGuire is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at africanamericanplanet.blogspot.com.

Translate