Hypertension and ethnic group: Not as simple as black or white

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7547.974-a

BMJ 2006;332:974 (22 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7547.974-a

Letter

Hypertension and ethnic group

Not as simple as black or white

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Brown makes a case for making treatment choicesin patients with hypertension on the basis of ethnic group.¹However, it is unclear if his use of the term ethnic group refersto skin pigmentation or common ancestry. Common ancestry wouldcertainly be difficult to accurately determine from the clinicalencounter, and the usefulness of skin pigmentation would dependon the homogeneity of biological characteristics in the ethnicgroup.

For black people such homogeneity remains to be proved. Theblack population is highly heterogeneous, in a genetic and geographicalcontext. Most of the available knowledge on the pathophysiologicalprofile in black patients with hypertension is based on thewell researched North American black population.² African Americansare mostly descended from west, central, and southeast Africanancestors, with whom they may share genetic traits. However,they may not necessarily share the same heritage with Africansfrom other parts of the . . . [Full text of this article]