Skip to main content

1999 to 2020 Saw Increase in HTN in Low-Income Middle-Aged Adults

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 20, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 20, 2023 -- From 1999 to 2020, there was an increase in hypertension among low-income middle-aged adults, while higher-income adults had increases in diabetes and obesity, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Michael Liu, M.Phil., from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues conducted a serial cross-sectional study to assess trends in the prevalence, treatment, and control of cardiovascular risk factors among 20,761 low- and higher-income middle-aged adults (age 40 to 64 years).

The researchers found that between 1999 and March 2020, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use was consistently higher among low-income adults. During the study period, there was an increase in hypertension among low-income adults (37.2 to 44.7 percent), but no changes were seen in diabetes or obesity. No change in hypertension was seen among higher-income adults, but they had increases in diabetes (7.8 to 14.9 percent) and obesity (33.0 to 44.0 percent). Among low-income adults, cigarette use was high and did not change (33.2 to 33.9 percent); use decreased among higher-income adults (18.6 to 11.5 percent). The groups had no change in treatment and control rates for hypertension (>80 percent), while an improvement in diabetes treatment rates was seen among higher-income adults (58.4 to 77.4 percent).

"Targeted public health and policy initiatives to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors, particularly among low-income communities, are urgently needed to address the ongoing increase in cardiovascular mortality among middle-aged adults," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted November 2023

Read this next

Blood Pressure Down With Self-Monitoring of BP, Self-Titration of Medications

FRIDAY, May 10, 2024 -- Blood pressure (BP) self-monitoring, together with self-titration of antihypertensive medications, is associated with a reduction in BP, according to a...

Novel Genetic Loci ID'd for Hypertension in European Ancestry

TUESDAY, May 7, 2024 -- A total of 113 novel genetic loci have been identified in the largest single-stage common variant genome-wide association study of blood pressure (BP)...

Long-Term Risk for MACE Increased for Children With Hypertension

TUESDAY, May 7, 2024 -- The long-term risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) is increased for children diagnosed with hypertension, according to a study published online May...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.