HYPERTENSION AWARENESS AND CONTROL IN AN INNER-CITY AFRICAN-AMERICAN SAMPLE

African-Americans in the US are at high risk for hypertension-related morbidity and mortality, The majority of African-Americans live in cen tral city areas, and lower socioeconomic status and health care utiliz ation patterns have been hypothesized to contribute to higher blood pr essure (BP) levels and poorer control of treated hypertension in this group, In order to plan an intervention to improve hypertension care f or inner city African-Americans in Houston, Texas, we conducted a base line survey of residents in 12 low-income ZIP code areas with a >70% A frican-American population to determine the level of hypertension awar eness, treatment and control, and associated sociodemographic, health care utilization, and medication compliance variables. Subjects were r ecruited to attend a BP measurement and assessment of knowledge, attit udes and behaviors through random digit phone dialing in the target ZI P code areas. Of the 962 subjects examined, 433 (45%) were hypertensiv e (systolic BP greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg or diastolic pressur e greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg or taking antihypertensive medicat ion), Among all hypertensives, 73% were aware, 64% were on treatment, and 28% were controlled to 140/90 mm Hg, Of hypertensives on treatment , 43% were controlled to 140/90 mm Hg, but 72% were controlled using t he criterion of 160/95 mm Hg, and 75% were controlled using a diastoli c pressure <90 mm Hg only, These results are similar to those reported for African-Americans in the most recent US national health survey, M ales were less likely to be aware, receiving treatment and controlled than were females, Although lack of awareness was associated with less frequent BP measurement, 77% of those unaware reported a measurement within the past 2 years. The majority of aware hypertensives reported frequent physician contact and high compliance with medication, We con clude that intervention to improve hypertension control in this popula tion should focus on ensuring that health providers diagnose BP and es tablish treatment goals based on the current standard of 140/90 mm Hg.