FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A Fayetteville doctor says African Americans suffer disproportionately from hypertension, or high blood pressure, and are often diagnosed too late.
"Well over half my patients are African Americans now and almost all of them suffer from high blood pressure," Dr. Derrick Gray, the medical director at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Fayetteville, said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 119 million Americans suffer from hypertension, and Arkansas ranks fourth in the nation with 40.7% of adults diagnosed.
"People unfortunately become disabled or, unfortunately, die prematurely with a disease that can be treated and controlled," Dr. Anthony M. Fletcher, the president of the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), said.
Dr. Fletcher said the association has released the Hypertension Control Program to equip clinicians across the nation with the tools needed to help control the disease.
"This program is designed to help train physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to understand the nuances of essential hypertension, to help identify those individuals and treat them," he said.
Dr. Fletcher says teenagers as young as 12 years old in the Black community are getting diagnosed with the disease.
"There are certain areas such as the Delta, where hypertension is more prevalent. It's prevalent more amongst Afro-Americans, people of Caribbean and Asian descent, and also Hispanics," he said. "So again, we want to train people to be astute about the influence of hypertension in those communities."
What can you do to prevent hypertension?
Dr. Gray says living a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent high blood pressure. But for many patients, the disease can be genetic. That's why it's so important to regularly see a doctor.
"I always compare our bodies to a car. Don't wait till the check engine light is on. Come and see me for your regular maintenance, get your oil changed, [and] get your tune-up. Let's take care of you for the rest of your life," Dr. Gray said.
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