A recent cross-sectional study has highlighted significant disparities in hypertension prevalence among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States, with a particular focus on Filipino adults. The study, utilizing 2015-2016 electronic health records, analyzed hypertension rates among adults aged 30-79 years. The findings revealed that Filipino men and women in particular exhibit notably higher rates of hypertension compared to South Asian, Chinese, Hispanic, and White adults.
Joan Chia-Mei Lo, MD, MS, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson of Medicine (KPSOM) Professor of Health System Science, coauthored the article, “U.S. Filipino Adults Have Elevated Prevalence of Hypertension Across the Adult Lifespan: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Electronic Health Record Study,” published by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
The study adjusted for various factors such as age, language proficiency, diabetes status, smoking habits, and weight category to ensure accurate comparisons. The data showed a marked increase in hypertension prevalence among Filipino adults with advancing age. Notably, the prevalence among Filipino adults tracked closely with that of Black adults, another group with historically high hypertension rates.
