Function and structure of resistance vessels in black and white people.

The risk of development of hypertension is greater in black people compared to white people through mechanisms that are poorly understood. Several biological and environmental factors have been proposed. Based on the role of an increased peripheral resistance in the pathogenesis of hypertension, the authors focus in this systematic review on ethnic differences in function and mechanical properties of resistance arteries in normotensive participants. PubMed was systematically searched for papers on ethnic differences in vascular function and structure. A total of 620 papers were retrieved, of which 31 papers were included in the analysis. The available data indicate that compared to normotensive whites, normotensive black people have enhanced vascular reactivity to sympathetic stimulation, attenuated responses to vasodilators, and a relatively narrow vascular lumen diameter. Of these mechanisms, the reduced vasodilation and reduced nitric oxide bioavailability in the vascular wall seem to form the most important distinction between resistance vessel properties of black and white participants. Copyright 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.