Variation in hypertension prevalence in elderly blacks in the United States: the effect of mortality trends.

Few controlled studies on the clinical course of hypertension in the elderly have been done, and similar studies are lacking specifically regarding the aging black population. Such studies are indeed difficult considering the complexity of determining the true incidence and prevalence of the disease, the presence of confounding variables such as genetic and environmental influences, and physiologic effects of aging. However, United States vital statistics data on race- and age-specific mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease are available. The literature has established that hypertension is the principal risk factor and has a direct relationship to the evolution of cardio- and cerebrovascular events. Therefore, examination of these data together with hypertension morbidity could contribute to our knowledge of the prevalence of hypertension in the elderly black population.