Blood pressure high in certain ethnic groups: Ontario study
19.05.2008 22:02
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
High blood-pressure rates represent a significant risk to certain ethnic groups in Ontario, a new survey says. The survey finds that certain groups, particularly South Asians and blacks, are three times more likely to have high blood pressure than other Ontarians. They are also more likely to develop it at a younger age. East Asians have the lowest rates of high blood pressure (19 per cent) while South Asians (30 per cent) and blacks (31 per cent) have the highest rates, the survey says. Blacks are particularly vulnerable to developing the condition in their 40s and 50s, with 50 per cent of them falling into this group. The Ontario Survey on the Prevalence and Control of Hypertension finds that almost 1.5 million people, or 21 per cent of adults in Ontario, have hypertension, based on 2006 figures. Half a million of these are suffering from uncontrolled blood pressure. "Approximately one in four men and one in five women aged 20 and 79 were found to have hypertension, with the rate increasing by age," said Frans Leenen, director of the hypertension unit at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the study's principal investigator. "Among those aged 60 to 79 years, for example, 52 per cent were hypertensive." One of the main causes of high blood pressure cited in the survey is the increase in obesity in Canada. Statistics Canada estimates that 36 per cent of Canadians aged 18 and over are overweight and 23 per cent are obese. People who are overweight or obese have a much higher likelihood of developing hypertension. Despite the increases in high blood pressure in certain populations, the survey does show that progress has been made in treating people with the condition. Although in the early 1990s, only 12 per cent of people with the condition were treated and controlled, by 2006 that percentage had grown to 66 per cent. "This rate of hypertension treatment and control is much higher than that reported in the United States in 2003/2004, and we suspect it may be one of the highest in the world " said George Fodor, the study's co-principal investigator. That leaves 19 per cent of people with hypertension untreated and 15 per cent treated but poorly managed. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario says it will continue to work on culturally appropriate heart health information to bring these numbers down further. The survey was published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksNew blood-pressure drug has fewer side effects: studyBlood pressure dropped when pill taken at night: studyPeople over 60 with high blood pressure get less lifestyle advice: studyHealth HeadlinesBlood pressure high in certain ethnic groups: Ontario study00Blood pressure rates are particularly high in certain ethnic populations in Ontario and represent a significant risk to these groups, says a new survey.GlaxoSmithKline approved to sell bird flu vaccine in Europe00British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline says it has received regulatory approval to sell its H5N1 bird flu vaccine to European countries.Researchers to present blood test for lung cancer00Doctors may have found a new way to detect lung cancer during its earliest stages using a simple blood test, according to research to be presented in Toronto on Tuesday.Fertility clinics losing space to abandoned sperm00Most people remember when they've gone to a bank, opened an account or made a deposit, but some "family" banks are having a tough time tracking down clients who have forgotten about their holdings.Kelowna students go bald and beautiful for cancer care 00A group of young women in Kelowna, B.C., gave up a picture-perfect graduation dance to raise money for cancer care. Health FeaturesENVIRONMENTClassifying chemicals'Batch 2' up for reviewCONSUMERCalorie trackerVIDEODisaster diseasesClean water critical (Runs 4:44)HealthVitamin DBoning up on the sunshine vitaminVIDEOVitamin DDeficiencies linked to poor breast cancer prognosis (Runs 2:16)People who read this also read …
| 
Add comment