THE NHLBI WORKSHOP ON HYPERTENSION IN HISPANIC AMERICANS, NATIVE-AMERICANS, AND ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICANS/

IN JUNE 1994, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute held a wor kshop entitled ''Epidemiology of Hypertension in Hispanic Americans, N ative Americans, and Asian/Pacific Islander Americans.'' The studies t hat served as the basis for the workshop along with a summary of two w orkshop panel discussions are being published as a supplement by Publi c Health Reports. In this article, the authors present graphs that com pare results across these studies with data for non-Hispanic whites, b lacks, and Hispanics from the Third National Health and Nutrition Exam ination Survey. The graphs indicate differences in mean blood pressure levels within and among these three population groups; such differenc es are also apparent in comparisons of these groups with the U.S. whit e and black populations. Although they appear modest, these difference s are sufficient to result in increased mortality rates in populations with higher levels of hypertension. Environmental influences appear t o underlie most of-these differences. In all of these populations, blo od pressure control rates are poor. Based on these studies, hypertensi on prevention and control programs should be undertaken. Special empha sis should be placed on the underserved minority populations that were the focus of the workshop.