Open AccessTrends in Hypertension‐Related Death in the United States: 1980–1998
Author(s) -
Ayala Carma,
Croft Janet B.,
Wattigney Wendy A.,
Mensah George A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
the journal of clinical hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1751-7176
pISSN - 1524-6175
DOI - 10.1111/j.1524-6175.2004.03730.x
Subject(s) - medicine , demography , ethnic group , mortality rate , cause of death , standardized rate , disease , gerontology , epidemiology , sociology , anthropology
Trends in hypertension‐related mortality for groups by race/ethnicity, sex, and age have not been examined previously. National multiple‐cause mortality files for 1980–1998 were analyzed for adult decedents with hypertension listed as one of 20 conditions causing death. Racial/ethnic comparisons of hypertension‐related death were performed using age‐standardized and age‐specific rates in years (per 100,000). Age‐standardized rate increased from 183.1 in 1980 to 243.7 in 1998, a relative increase of 33% and an average annual increase of 1.5% (p<0.0001). From 1981 to 1998, age‐specific death rates increased for persons >85 years (average annual increase of 10.4% for blacks, 7.9% for whites), 75–84 years (5.9% for blacks, 3.6% for whites), and 65–74 years (3.2% for blacks, 1.4% for whites). By 1997–1998, blacks had greater death rates compared with whites at all ages. Over the past two decades, there has been a step‐by‐step increase in hypertension‐related mortality, which has continued to show a male over female and black over white predominance. Prevention and control of hypertension must continue to be pursued as a strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality.