Block: Hypertension Epidemiology

Question 1

What are three systems that are involved in maintaining blood pressure?

Answer 1

RAAS
kidney retention of salt/water
sympathetic nervous system

Question 2

T/F: 1 in 3 US adults are hypertensive

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Blood pressure is a (blank) for cardiovascular disease

Answer 3

biomarker

Question 4

Blood pressure has a (blank) distribution in the population

Answer 4

unimodal

Question 5

What happens to systolic BP as we age? What happens to diastolic BP?

Answer 5

systolic continually increases
diastolic decreases after about age 60

• *this increases pulse pressure as we age
• *in older people, systolic blood pressure is associated w increased risk, increased pulse pressure is associated w higher risk

Question 6

There are more MIs attributable to hypertension than strokes attributable to hypertension, because MIs are more common

Answer 6

Hmm..

Question 7

Blood pressure is a (blank) risk factor

Answer 7

graded (log-linear)

**every 20mmHg increase in BP doubles your risk

Question 8

What are some unique aspects of BP In blacks?

Answer 8

HTN prevalence for non-Hispanic blacks among the highest of any racial/ethnic group
blacks develop HTN at an earlier age and have higher average BPs
increased incidence of target organ damage, especially end-stage renal disease**

Question 9

Compare relative risk and absolute risk

Answer 9

relative risk: looks at risk as a percentage of the whole population

absolute risk: looks at absolute numbers (100 people vs 62 people developed CV disease)

Question 10

What has happened to the prevalence of HTN in the US?

What has happened to awareness and treatment of HTN?

Answer 10

prevalence has stayed relatively the same

awareness & treatment has improved

Question 11

Which patients are most aware of their hypertension?

Answer 11

older people!

**NH blacks are most aware, but
their control rates are the worst

**younger people less aware

Question 12

Awareness, treatment and control rates lowest in this group

Answer 12

males that are mexican american

Question 13

Rates of HTN greatest in this group

Answer 13

non-hispanic blacks

Question 14

Compare explicit and implicit bias

Answer 14

explicit: consciously aware that you are treating people differently
implicit: not consciously aware

Question 15

These things lead to potential for bias and stereotyping

Answer 15

automatic aspects
cognitive “misers” - cognitive short cuts
primal - age, gender, race

**all activates most when stress and time constrained