title: Racial/ethnic differences in hypertension prevalence, treatment, and control for outpatients in northern California 2010-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertension (HTN) is a known major cardiovascular disease risk factor, but prevalence, treatment, and control of HTN among rapidly growing minority groups such as Asian Americans and Hispanics are unknown largely due to either underrepresentation in epidemiologic studies or aggregation of Asian American subgroups.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-year cross-section (2010-2012) of patients from a large ambulatory care setting in northern California was examined in the following subgroups: Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Mexicans, non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs), and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). We defined HTN as two separate nonemergent office visit blood pressure measurements ≥140/90 mm Hg, physician diagnosis of HTN, or use of antihypertensive medications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 208,985 patients were included in the study. Age-adjusted HTN prevalence ranged from 30.0% in Chinese women to 59.9% in Filipino men. Most minority subgroups had lower or similar odds of having HTN compared with NHWs, except for Filipinos and NHBs whose odds were significantly higher after adjusting for patient demographic and clinical characteristics. Asian Americans and NHBs were more likely to be treated for HTN compared with NHWs. Achievement of blood pressure control was lower among Filipino women (odds ratio = 0.82, 99% confidence interval 0.70-0.96) and NHB men (odds ratio = 0.73, 99% confidence interval 0.58-0.91), compared with NHW women and men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Substantial racial/ethnic variation in HTN prevalence, treatment, and control was found in our study population. Filipino and NHB women and men are at especially high risk for HTN and may have more difficulty in achieving adequate blood pressure control.
authors.affiliation: Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA;
authors.forename: Beinan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA;
authors.forename: Powell O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Jose
authors.affiliation: Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA;
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.affiliation: Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA;
authors.forename: Sukyung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine-Jacksonville, University of Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA;
authors.forename: Irma B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Ancheta
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Oregon, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Fortmann
authors.affiliation: Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA; lathap@pamfri.org.
authors.forename: Latha P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Palaniappan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010045:Outpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: blood pressure; control; epidemiology; hypertension; prevalence; race/ethnicity; treatment.