Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Hypertension disparities among non-hispanic black adults

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 39, pages 807–808 (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

Hypertension (HTN) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and increased mortality, with significant racial and ethnic disparities in prevalence and control. Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) adults in the United States (US) have the highest rates of HTN compared to other racial and ethnic groups, yet foreign-born NHBs exhibit lower HTN prevalence than their US-born counterparts. This paper explores the role of birthplace, acculturation, and socioeconomic factors in shaping HTN risk among NHBs. Despite higher treatment rates, NHBs face systemic barriers to HTN control, underscoring the need for targeted public health interventions. Emerging evidence suggests that foreign-born NHBs may have healthier dietary patterns, but prolonged residence in the US is associated with increasing HTN prevalence, potentially due to acculturation and lifestyle changes. Understanding these variations is crucial for developing tailored, culturally sensitive strategies to mitigate HTN disparities. Future research should further investigate regional origins, dietary shifts, and healthcare access to inform public health initiatives aimed at improving cardiovascular health outcomes in this high-risk population.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1

References

  1. Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, Casey DE Jr, Collins KJ, Dennison Himmelfarb C, et al. 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;71:e127–e248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.11.006

  2. Williams B, Mancia G, Spiering W, Agabiti Rosei E, Azizi M, Burnier M, et al. 2018 ESC/ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension. Eur Heart J. 2018;39:3021–104. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy339

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Lippi G, Sanchis-Gomar F, Henry BM. Hypertension and its severity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A pooled analysis. Pol Arch Intern Med. 2020;130:304–9. https://doi.org/10.20452/pamw.15272

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. National Center for Health Statistics. Provisional Life Expectancy Estimates for 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr015-508.pdf Published July 2021. Accessed March 11, 2025.

  5. Brown AGM, Houser RF, Mattei J, Mozaffarian D, Lichtenstein AH, Folta SC. Hypertension among US-born and foreign-born non-Hispanic Blacks: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2014 data. J Hypertens. 2017;35:2380–87. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000001489

  6. Howard G, Cushman M, Moy CS, Oparil S, Muntner P, Lackland DT, et al. Association of clinical and social factors with excess hypertension risk in black compared with White US adults. JAMA. 2022;328:76–85. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.9177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Commodore-Mensah Y, Selvin E, Aboagye J, Myles ZM, Obisesan TO, Ndumele CE, et al. Hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diabetes among U.S.- and foreign-born Blacks: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7:e007253. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.117.007253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Read JG, Emerson MO. Racial context, black immigration and the US Black/White health disparity. Soc Forces. 2005;84:181–99. https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.2005.0120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Pew Research Center. Key facts about Black immigrants in the U.S. Published January 24, 2022. Accessed March 11, 2025.

  10. Virani SS, Alonso A, Benjamin EJ, Bittencourt MS, Callaway CW, Carson AP, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2021 update. Circulation. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Thomas SJ, Booth JN 3rd, Dai C, Li X, Nuttall KL, Butler KR. Cumulative incidence of hypertension by 55 Years of Age in blacks and whites: The CARDIA study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7:e007988. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.117.007988

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Chen V, Ning H, Allen NB, Muntner P, Lloyd-Jones DM, Rana JS. Lifetime risks for hypertension by contemporary guidelines in african american and white men and women. JAMA Cardiol. 2019;4:455–9. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2019.0529

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Brown AGM, Houser RF, Mattei J, Cohen JH, Mozaffarian D, Tucker KL. Diet quality among US-born and foreign-born non-Hispanic blacks: NHANES 2003–2012 data. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;107:695–706. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy021

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Fang J, Ayala C, Loustalot F, Dai S, Washington B, Ritchey M. Association of birthplace and self-reported hypertension by racial/ethnic groups among US adults—national health interview survey, 2006–2010. J Hypertens. 2012;30:2285–92. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0b013e3283599b9a

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Leng B, Jin Y, Li G, Chen L, Jin N. Socioeconomic status and hypertension: a meta-analysis. J Hypertens. 2015;33:221–9. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000000428

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Fuchs FD. Why do black Americans have higher prevalence of hypertension?: an enigma still unsolved. Hypertension. 2011;57:379–80. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.110.163196

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center 43322 Gingham Ave, Lancaster, 93535, CA, USA

    Ashruta Patel

Authors
  1. Ashruta Patel
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

AP drafted, edited, and finalized submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ashruta Patel.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Patel, A. Hypertension disparities among non-hispanic black adults. J Hum Hypertens 39, 807–808 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-025-01106-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-025-01106-5

Search

Advanced search

Quick links