High blood pressure in African Americans: the silent killer Published Feb. 13, 2007 By Capt. Jason Arnold, 319th Medical Group, Family Practice Physician GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Did you know that four out of every 10 African Americans will develop high blood pressure (or hypertension)? Or that African Americans are 33 percent more likely to develop hypertension than the general population? Hypertension is a condition where the pressure in the blood vessels coming from the heart is too high. Blood pressure is measured with two numbers: systolic (the top number) over diastolic (the bottom number). A normal adult blood pressure is less than 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic). When either of these numbers is elevated over time, it can cause serious health problems. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. All three of these health problems are more likely to be severe in African Americans. Although high blood pressure can lead to very serious or even life-threatening conditions, someone can have very high blood pressure for years and never have any symptoms. More than 30 percent of people with hypertension don't even know they have it (that's why it's called the "silent killer"). In addition to ethnic background, there are several other risk factors for hypertension such as: obesity, excessive salt intake, lack of exercise, family history, excessive alcohol intake and increasing age. The good news is that hypertension is very easy to test for, and the risk of developing serious problems can be dramatically reduced by controlling elevated blood pressure with diet, exercise and sometimes medications. To learn more, talk to your health care provider or read more online at www.americanheart.org [click on "Diseases and Conditions" and then "High Blood Pressure"].