Racial health disparities in blood pressure control are disproportionately impacting Black women, furthering their increased risk of pregnancy-related complications.
Black women of childbearing age are more than twice as likely to experience uncontrolled blood pressure compared to white women, according to recent findings published by the Journal of the American Heart Association. High blood pressure is particularly dangerous during pregnancy, putting the mother at risk for eclampsia, preeclampsia, stroke, heart failure, and heart attack, explained researchers, referring to it as one of the “most important and modifiable risk factors” for maternal health.
“Although high blood pressure is a treatable, common chronic health condition, it is a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths and severe disease,” said senior study author Lara C. Kovell, M.D., a cardiologist at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, Mass., in a statement. “The United States has much higher rates of pregnancy-related deaths than economically similar countries, and Black women are disproportionately affected.”
To examine the link between uncontrolled blood pressure and social determinants of health (SDoH) by race and ethnicity, researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2018 for 1,293 women of child-bearing age with diagnosed high blood pressure.
Here’s what they found:
- Black women of childbearing age with high blood pressure were more than twice as likely than white women to have uncontrolled blood pressure. Of the women who were aware of their diagnosed high blood pressure, Black women were three times more likely to have uncontrolled blood pressure.
- Black (38 percent) and Asian (36 percent) women had a higher average blood pressure and were more likely to have uncontrolled blood pressure compared to white women (25 percent).
- Food insecurity was higher among Hispanic (32 percent) and Black women (25 percent) compared to white women (13 percent).
- One in four Black women and one in three Hispanic women experienced food insecurity.
As maternal mortality rates increase throughout the U.S., particularly among Black women, the link between SDoH and high blood pressure underscores a clear area for interventions to address existing inequities, explained the research team. They recommended the health system take several actions to better address social needs to improve racial health disparities in blood pressure control. Their suggestions include increased communication and education with patients, routine screenings for food insecurity and a system to connect food insecure individuals with community resources, and improved health care access to make healthy food options easily accessible.
The researchers noted that factors beyond SDoH, such as experienced racism, social support, or stress, were not included in the study, but likely contribute to inequities in blood pressure control.