Current epidemiologic status on aging in U.S. blacks: update on hypertension and diabetes

The total number of American blacks aged 65 years and over is estimated to be approximately 2.3 million, and the black elderly population will continue to increase faster than the white elderly population throughout the remainder of this century. During the period 1985 to 2025, the elderly population in the United States will increase to 105 percent.The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes for the elderly population (65 years and over) is much higher in blacks than in whites. During the period 1976 to 1980, 76.5 percent of black women aged 65 to 74 years had definite hypertension, compared with 53.4 percent of white women.Many factors are associated with the development of hypertension and diabetes in blacks. Specfic epidemiologic studies are necessary to identify black-white differences in risk factors, including biomedical risk, socioeconomic status, psychosocial risk, nutritional status, lifestyle, and genetic factors.