Conclusions: This study suggests that vigilance may be a source of chronic stress contributing to higher prevalence of hypertension among Blacks. Examining both conventional and unconventional risk factors will help to eliminate hypertension disparities.
This study was limited to a single city and was cross-sectional; further research will require a more robust sample.
About the Study: The Chicago Community Adult Health Study, a cross-sectional, population-representative survey of adults living in Chicago was used. Regression was performed on data from May 2001 to March 2003 to examine hypertension prevalence and the interaction between race-ethnicity and vigilance.