Researchers found that lack of health insurance and younger age increases the gap in treatment and control between the two minority groups and whites. Blacks and Hispanics younger than age 60 without health insurance were more than 40 percent less likely than whites without insurance to achieve high blood pressure control.
“Expanded healthcare coverage would help minimize this problem, but there are multiple factors that contribute to this disparity,” said Sen “Anna” Gu, M.D., Ph.D., lead study author and assistant professor at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in New York. “We need better patient education, better physician-patient communication, and support for patients making lifestyle changes like exercising more and eating healthy.”
Having insurance reduces, but does not eliminate the gap. Researchers said that closing the gap may require different approaches for blacks and Hispanics.
“It is an established fact that high blood pressure is more common among blacks and more aggressive,” Argulian said.
One positive study finding was that blacks received more intensive therapy, including two or more kinds of drugs, for high blood pressure than whites and Hispanics, Argulian said.
Hispanics were less likely to receive drugs and intensive therapy than whites or blacks, Gu said.
The percentage of all adults taking medications for their condition increased from 65.6 to 77.3 percent during the study, which was published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
