Ethnic differences in hypertension prevalence and contributing determinants - the HELIUS study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Disease Research

Background:

• Ethnic variations in hypertension prevalence and related cardiovascular complications are well-documented but their underlying causes remain debated.
• Understanding these ethnic differences is crucial for targeted public health interventions and reducing health disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the contribution of lifestyle, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors to ethnic variations in hypertension prevalence.
• To compare hypertension rates across diverse ethnic groups within a large urban population.

Main Methods:

• Utilized cross-sectional data from the Healthy Life In an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study, encompassing over 21,520 participants aged 18-70.
• Included individuals of South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish, Moroccan, and Dutch ethnic origins.
• Employed logistic regression models to analyze ethnic differences in hypertension prevalence, adjusting for various risk factors.

Main Results:

• Significant higher hypertension prevalence was observed in Ghanaian, African Surinamese, and South-Asian Surinamese populations compared to the Dutch.
• Conversely, Turkish and Moroccan populations exhibited lower hypertension prevalence than the Dutch.
• These ethnic disparities persisted across age groups and after adjusting for body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio.

Conclusions:

• Substantial ethnic differences in hypertension prevalence exist from young adulthood.
• While lifestyle and socioeconomic factors explained the lower prevalence in Turkish and Moroccan groups, they did not account for the higher rates in African and South-Asian descent populations.
• Further research is needed to identify the specific factors contributing to persistent hypertension disparities in certain ethnic groups.