Clinical hypertension and its interaction with diabetes among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Estimated rates from ambulatory care data.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of clinical hypertension and describe the coexistence with diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of outpatient visits for hypertension and diabetes over a 1-yr period (1 October 1986 to 30 September 1987) in IHS facilities was conducted.


RESULTS
The 1987 estimated age-adjusted prevalence of diagnosed hypertension for this group was 10.9/100 for people > or = 15 yr of age. Thirty-seven percent of diabetic patients were diagnosed with hypertension. The relative risk of hypertension in the diabetic populations compared with the nondiabetic population varied from 4.7 to 7.7 among the different IHS areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite high rates of diabetes and obesity, hypertension rates were relatively low among American Indians and Alaska Natives when compared with other ethnic groups in the U.S.
Broussard
B A
BA
Indian Health Service Diabetes Program and Cancer Program, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102.
Valway
S E
SE
Kaufman
S
S
Beaver
S
S
Gohdes
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007198:Indians, North American; D004930:Inuit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology