An NHLBI-funded study found that poorer Americans are half as likely to have their blood pressure under control than their affluent countrymen, and are at higher risk of death overall and of death due to heart disease. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, highlight the significance of the socioeconomic context in the treatment and control of blood pressure and in related cardiovascular outcomes.
The Antihypertensive and Lipid‐Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial, known as ALLHAT, found that participants receiving care in low‐income areas showed worse blood pressure reduction and control compared with participants in high‐income areas. Also, poorer participants had greater number of heart failure hospitalizations, end‐stage renal disease, and overall mortality.