Ethnic differences in 24 h blood pressure profiles exist, and 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring shows that blacks have a higher nocturnal blood pressure associated with a small diurnal change in pressure. Studies in adolescents suggest that these diurnal differences antedate adulthood. Nocturnal blood pressure may be independently important in the pathogenesis of left ventricular hypertrophy.
HarshfieldGAAlpertBSWileyESSomesGWMurphyJKDupalLM: Race and gender influence ambulatory blood pressure patterns of adolescents. Hypertension1989, 14:598–603. The authors reported on blood pressure differences in 199 black and white adolescents and demonstrated that both groups had similar blood pressures during the day but that systolic and diastolic blood pressure was higher in black adolescents at night.
2.
HarshfieldGAPulliamDASomesGWAlpertBS: Ambulatory blood pressure patterns in youth. Am J Hypertens1993, 6:968–973. This is an important study that looked at blood pressure in an ethnically diverse group of 300 normotensive adolescents. Blacks had higher nocturnal pressures than whites. The study shows that ethnic diurnal differences in blood pressure exist and that these differences antedate adulthood.
3.
MurphyMBFumoMTGretlerDDNelsonKSLangRM: Diurnal blood pressure variation: Differences among disparate ethnic groups. J Hypertens1991, 9 (suppl 8):S45–S47. This study found a higher nocturnal blood pressure in black than in white adults. A smaller diurnal variation in blood pressure among blacks was also demonstrated. In matched black and white adults (who differed only in terms of their nocturnal blood pressure), blacks were found to have a higher left ventricular mass.
4.
FumoMTTeegerSLangRMBednarzJSareliPMurphyMB: Diurnal blood pressure variation and cardiac mass in American blacks and whites and South African blacks. Am J Hypertens1992, 5:111–116. The authors of this paper evaluated racial differences in diurnal blood pressure profiles in American blacks, African blacks and American whites. Nocturnal blood pressure was significantly higher in American blacks. This study is important because it attempted to evaluate the effect of race as an independent variable on blood pressure. The authors also compared left ventricular mass in African blacks and American blacks who were matched for daytime blood pressure. American blacks had the highest left ventricular mass indices.
5.
WilsonTWGrimCMWilsonDMGarrettSSNicholsonGDFraserHS: 24 hour blood pressure pattern in Barbadian blacks differ from US blacks [abstract]. Circulation1990, 81:726. The authors reported higher nocturnal blood pressures in American blacks than in Barbadian blacks.
6.
RowlandsDBDe GiovanniJMcLeayRABWatsonRDSStallardTJLittlerWA: Cardiovascular response in black and white hypertensives. Hypertension1982, 4:817–820. This is one of the first studies to address ethnic differences in blood pressure in a small group of black and white patients using intra-arterial monitoring.
7.
PrisantLMThompsonWOBottiniPBCarrAARhodesR: Racial aspects of ambulatory blood pressure. J Hum Hypertens1991, 5:369–373. This paper does not support a racial difference in the level of ambulatory blood pressure in patients with documented essential hypertension.
8.
GretlerDDFumoMTNelsonKSMurphyMB: Ethnic differences in hemodynamic profile. Am J Hypertens1994, 7:7–14. This study, which compared 24 h blood pressure profiles in more than 500 black and white subjects, convincingly demonstrated that blacks had higher blood pressures at night. This was associated with a smaller diurnal change in blood pressure. This study is the largest of its kind to address the issue of racial differences in blood pressure.
9.
AndersonNBMyersHFPickeringTJacksonJS: Hypertension in blacks: Psychosocial and biological perspectives. J Hypertens1989, 7:161–172. A review of the literature on hypertension in blacks focusing on possible psychosocial and biological factors that may contribute to its increased prevalence and severity.
10.
LevySBFrigonRFStoneRA: Plasma dopamine-β-hydroxylase activity and blood pressure variability in hypertensive men. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1979, 11:187–199. The authors found that blacks had lower dopamine-β-hydroxylase activity than whites.
11.
ZinnerSHMargoliusHSRosnerBKeiserHRKassHH: Familial aggregation of urinary kallikrein concentration in childhood: Relation to blood pressure, race, and urinary electrolytes. Am J Epidemiol1976, 104:124–132. This study demonstrated lower kallikrein levels in blacks.
12.
WederAB: Red-cell lithium-sodium countertransport and renal lithium clearance in hypertension. N Engl J Med1986, 314:198–201. This paper demonstrated divergent erythrocyte-membrane ion transport in black subjects.
13.
WederABTorrettiBAJuliusS: Racial differences in erythrocyte cation transport. Hypertension1984, 6:115–123. The authors found that black subjects exhibit differences in erythrocyte-membrane ion transport, which may be involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension in blacks.
14.
FisherNDGleasonREMooreTJWilliamsGHHollenbergNK: Regulation of aldosterone secretion in hypertensive blacks. Hypertension1994, 23:179–184. This study revealed lower plasma aldosterone levels in black hypertensive compared with white hypertensive patients.
15.
PrisantLMCarrAA: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and echocardiographic left ventricular wall thickness and mass. Am J Hypertens1990, 3:81–89. This study examined the relationship between ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and the occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy.
16.
VerdecchiaPSchillaciGGuerrieriMGatteschiCBenemioGBoldiiniF: Orcadian blood pressure changes and left ventricular hypertrophy in essential hypertension. Circulation1990, 81:528–536. This important paper reported a closer correlation between left ventricular mass indices and higher nocturnal blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.
