Higher Cases of Hypertension in Southeastern States: 'Stroke Belt' Remains Unchanged

Statistics show that 130,000 Americans die from stroke per year, with 1 in every 19 deaths accounting for the health issue. Unfortunately, in some states, stroke risk may be higher-and for much of the Southeast, it has and seems to continue to remain this way, according to a recent study.

Regions of the Southeast, which have also been referred to as the Stroke Belt due to their dangerously high rates of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, seem to be steady in keeping their title.

"The rates have not changed," though the U.S. has had treatment guidelines for high blood pressure since 1977, said one of the authors, Dr. Uchechukwu K. A. Sampson, an assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, according to Reuters Health. "The number of people who do not know that they have high blood pressure is the same."

Researchers studied a large database consisting of recent information on men and women in southern states from 2002 to 2009, according to the American Heart Association. They focused on 69,000 white and black adults with similarly low income and education levels in order to eliminate such environmental factors that may be caused by poverty.

Study findings showed that approximately 57 percent of study participants had high blood pressure, which African Americans twice as likely as whites to suffer from the health issue. Racial differences among women were even more significant, with 52 percent of black and white women having high blood pressure, but higher rates among black women at 64 percent and slightly lower rates for white women at 52 percent.

Obesity seemed to increase the risk of the problem substantially for those living in the area. While the National Stroke Association shows that there are uncontrollable factors that may increase an individual's stroke risk, such as age, gender, race or family history, there are many controllable risk factors that can be prevented. For instance, smoking and use of other tobacco products can greatly increase stroke risk. Alcohol use, physical inactivity and obesity are all other controllable risk factors that an individual can work on to take a better hold of his or her life and the potential for this health issue.

For those that may be at an increased risk, health officials advise that good doctor-patient communication is essential in lowering blood pressure or other health issues that may pose a higher risk to this medical problem.

More information regarding the study can be found via Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.