NEW YORK, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Hispanics who are black have higher hypertension rates than Hispanics who are white, a Columbia University researcher says.
While just 16.8 percent of U.S. Hispanics suffer high blood pressure vs. 24.7 of the general population, "the idealized Hispanic health advantage disappears when race is accounted for," said researcher Luisa Borrell.
In an analysis of data from the National Health Interview Survey, Borrell said blacks had the highest hypertension rates regardless of other ethnic heritage.
"This kind of comparison could help tease out the effect of race as a marker for inequality in opportunities and, further, as a cause for existing health disparities," Borrell said.
Borrell and the University of Michigan's David Williams said, especially in the United States, people with darker skin face prejudice and "disadvantaged life chances" that can translate into poorer health.
The study was published in the journal Ethnicity & Disease.
