incidence of hypertension

In the United States, almost 58 million people have high blood pressure, which is more common in black Americans (38% are hypertensive) than in whites (29%). Japan (Ueshima et al., 1980) and China (Li et al., 1985) have high morbidity and mortality from hypertension and stroke, but lower risks of coronary artery disease than in the United States and Europe. In other populations, especially in nonindustrialized societies such as the Tokelau, the condition is rare, but blood pressure levels may then be adversely influenced by migration and changes in weight, diet, exercise, and social factors. Thus, differences may be explained by genetic factors, environmental factors, or a genetic-environmental interaction. Advances in the management of hypertension make the search for specific causes of this disease important so that appropriate preventive and therapeutic mea­sures may be undertaken in a timely fashion. In 1972, the United States government launched a blood pressure awareness program. Since then, the annual rate of fatal strokes has been cut in half by identifying patients at risk and undertaking needed programs of prevention and treatment. In the same time frame the rate of fatal heart attacks has dropped by 34%—for a variety of reasons, including the assault on high blood pressure.