Black Women with High Blood Pressure Before Age 35 May Have Triple the Stroke Risk
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Research
Black Women with High Blood Pressure Before Age 35 May Have Triple the Stroke Risk
Black women who develop high blood pressure before age 35 and are on medication for hypertension may triple their odds of having a stroke, and those who develop high blood pressure before age 45 may have twice the risk, according to a preliminary study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2024 by Hugo J. Aparicio, MD, MPH, associate professor of neurology.
“This research was motivated by the glaring disparity I have seen in my own practice. Strokes are occurring at younger ages among my patients who identify as Black and among women,” said Aparicio. “Early onset stroke, particularly at midlife, is even more tragic because these patients often have families or are caretakers for sick family members themselves.”
3.1x Higher Risk
Compared to Black women with no history of hypertension treatment:
Black women who developed high blood pressure and began hypertension treatment between ages 24 and 34 had a 3.1 times higher risk of having a subsequent stroke;
Black women who developed high blood pressure and were treated before age 45 had 2.2 times higher risk of stroke; and
Black women who had high blood pressure and were treated between ages 45 and 64 had 1.69 times higher risk of stroke.
Researchers investigated how the development of high blood pressure at a younger stage in life among Black women may influence the risk of a potentially disabling stroke. They compared participants from the Black Women’s Health Study with and without treatment for hypertension before age 45, between ages 45 and 64, and within 10-year age intervals from 1999 to 2019.
“We expected to see an association between having high blood pressure at a younger age and having a stroke during midlife and later life; however, we were surprised and concerned to see the magnitude of the relationship, especially for women who were taking antihypertension medications before age 35,” said Aparicio.