Increasing prevalence of hypertension in low income residents within Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division Hospital System.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension risk in local areas may vary from national estimates; however, the data on the prevalence of hypertension in some local areas are limited. We investigate the trend in the prevalence of hypertension in Louisiana from 2000 to 2009.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study among the subjects aged ≥ 20 years who received medical care from the Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division (LSUHCSD) hospital system during 2000-2009. Hypertensive cases were identified by using ICD-9 codes. The annual hypertension prevalence was calculated as the number of unique hypertensive individuals during the year divided by the number of unique individuals visiting the LSUHCSD hospital during the year.
RESULTS: The age-standardized prevalence of hypertension in LSUHCSD hospital patients aged ≥ 20 years increased by 49.4% during 2000-2009, from 24.1% in 2000 to 36.0% in 2009. The rise in age-standardized prevalence of hypertension from 2000 to 2009 occurred in both men (from 20.1% to 32.8%) and women (from 26.8 % to 38.3%), and in White (from 20.1% to 33.0%), African (from 27.4% to 37.6%) and other race Americans (from 14.9% to 22.3%). The age-standardized prevalence of hypertension was higher in women than in men, and higher in African Americans than in White and other race Americans.
CONCLUSION: The annual prevalence of hypertension has dramatically increased from 2000 to 2009 in both men and women and in all races of the population served by the LSUHCSD hospitals.