Your race and high blood pressure in medicine and science has been and continues to be presented with the premise that there are inherent physiological differences between races. Race is commonly accepted as one of the risk factors for hypertension.
Additionally, African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely to experience high blood pressure than their Anglo- American counterparts. For African-Americans, elevations in blood pressure happen at an earlier age, is often more severe and more than any other race, are at a higher risk for this life threatening disease.
Race Based Science and Medicine
With the advent of the science of genetics, epidemiology, and other modern biology, perspectives, opinions and research has appeared in respected journals discrediting the notion of race being a risk factor for disease. Despite present-day research, social perceptions and concepts originating from the 18th century – which had no scientific foundation – are readily available on the internet, in the public, in research, in medical school and in practice.
Expanded Perspectives For Risk Factors and Race
Variables beyond genetics are psychosocial, economic, cultural, environmental, and other determinants that affects human physiology – these are not well delineated to date, though research documenting a correlation between high blood pressure and socioeconomic status does exist. The “New” scientific standard grounds itself in looking at differences in races being based on genetics due to the reality that racial grouping is ill-defined – with most “races” being comprised of multiple ethnic backgrounds from differing continents.
To follow this subject more, check out research and commentary by Richard S. Cooper M.D. – according to Investigators Awards In Health Policy Research his background: “Richard S. Cooper is a cardiovascular epidemiologist with a long-term interest in hypertension and related conditions in populations of African origin.”
It serves humanity, that we in the public and in medicine, when talking about risk factors for high blood pressure and race that we think and speak in terms of specific genes that may be found in differing ethnic mixtures of people.
Due to the first “ethnic” drug targeted for African Americans, the controversy of race stirred up quite a commotion. It opened the door more completely to look at genetic traits versus race for medical clues for disease. Regardless, it is still common in the public and medicine to hear and read, race is a risk factor for high blood pressure. Hearing your opinion about this subject is valued. Please click over to HighBPcontrol blog and leave your opinion. Yours in health! ~ Mona OyosC 2010 Mona Oyos
