title: Hypertension in Asian/Pacific Island Americans.
abstract: Asian/Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) are the fastest growing population in the United States by percentage. Hypertension is common and increases cardiovascular risk to a great extent in this population. The medical problems of this group are being increasingly encountered by US physicians. Many gene mutations associated with hypertension are more common in Asians. The significance of these polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of hypertension in APIAs is unclear. The percentage of APIAs who are aware, treated, and controlled is small. There may be some differences in the responses to antihypertensive medications between APIAs and whites. The results of human studies on the effect of drinking of tea on blood pressure in different groups are conflicting. Cough associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy may be more common in APIAs than in whites. There is a need for more education of APIAs regarding hypertension and for more effective treatment of hypertension by the physicians caring for this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hypertension Clinic, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Clinical Center, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. ralph.watson@ht.msu.edu
authors.forename: Ralph E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Rudruidee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karnchanasorn
authors.forename: Ved V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Gossain
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001213:Asian / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D006266:Health Education; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents