Why do African Americans tend to have a higher blood pressure?

Question

I just saw Oprah and she explained it but I was on the phone and missed it- something about salt and slavery- so it makes me think- WHAT????????!!!!!!!!! Huh? What? I think I missed it entirely-

Answer 1

I have no idea, I'm only 24 and my blood pressure shot up for the first time in my life on Saturday. I believe our genes just make us more vulnerable to it. High Blood pressure has nothing to do with slavery that was over 100 years ago and if that was the case we wouldn't have it any more.


Benji that's interesting....maybe so ...I will do some research!

I agree with Michael too we better wake up! because most of us do eat unhealthy but at the same time that doesn't explain higher blood pressure among those of us that do have a healthy diet Like some family members around me that developed Hyperertension. I just think it's something in our genes that makes us more likely to develope it than most races.

Answer 2

It does have something to do with the middle passage and the salt intake and water retention during that voyage. so the people that were able to survive the voyage had a genetic advantage to survives those conditions. I am not sure what those conditions were but the same conditions made their future off springs have a predisposition for high blood pressure. there seems to be a correlation because Africans born and raised in Africa don't have this predisposition for high blood pressure like the African Americans here.

Yeah Michael is right to some degree. All we have right now are theories and AJ is right also, what about the African Americans who are not over weight and eat healthy and somehow still manage to have high blood pressure. Plus Michael I am sure that black people are not the only race who eat Mcdonalds and KFC even though they mostly advertise to us.

Answer 3

Benji's answer makes a lot of people happy to rationalize away the cause of high blood pressure in American blacks. However, American blacks have a terrible diet, have traditionally had a high fat, high carb, low protein diet. African blacks eat a heathier diet. More legumes, and vegetables.

McDonalds pitches directly to African Americans. KFC shows blacks consuming fried chicken. Where are the Popeye's and Church's and all the other high fat, fast food places located? In black areas. Just go to a Pathmark and stand by the checkouts. Look at what is in people's shopping carts. Processed foods and cake, candy and ice cream. The blacks in this country had better wake up. They are killing themselves with bad food and killing their children too.

- Inner city H.S. teacher

Answer 4

People of African persuasion tend to be closer to the "root" when it comes to modern humans. Meaning African Americans require a more basic diet like there African Counterparts.I

Answer 5

You didnt miss anything, Oprah missed the boat big time on that little statement of hers. Salt and slavery had nothing to do with it. Americans with an african heritage, like Africans have certain genetic tendencies to hypertension, as they do to sickle cell anemia and certain other disorders. It's in the genes, not the history.