Regional and racial differences among stroke victims in the United States

Examination of the 1980 age-adjusted mortality data by geographic region shows that death rates for black males and females are higher in the Southeast than in other parts of the United States. The reason for these higher death rates was sought by examining the NHANES II data. The prevalence of hypertension among black females was significantly higher in the Southeast (44%) than in all other regions (34%). The prevalence of hypertension among males, both black and white, and among white females in the Southeast was similar to that in all other regions. Although black and white hypertensives in the Southeast were as aware of their condition as hypertensives in the rest of the nation, the rate of hypertension control among black females in the Southeast was significantly lower than elsewhere. In addition, both male and female black hypertensives in the Southeast were more likely to be obese than their counterparts in the other regions. Analysis of smoking patterns showed that among hypertensives in the Southeast, only white males had higher rates of smoking than their counterparts elsewhere in the United States.