Research: African Americans (AAs) have a higher prevalence of essential hypertension (EH) and higher mortality rates associated with EH than Whites. Among AAs, those from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds have particularly higher prevalence and mortality related to EH. Reasons for these SES related EH differences have not been fully delineated. Chronic environmental stress has been posed as one factor contributing to these SES related differences among AAs. Exaggerated cardiovascular (CV) responsivity to stress has been proposed as a plausible physiological link between chronic environmental stress and the higher prevalence of EH among low SES AAs. However, to date a comprehensive evaluation of these relationships has not been conducted. This application will address the early relationships between CV reactivity and the development of pathobiologic markers of EH risk (i.e., increased resting BP left ventricular mass and relative wall thickness), among 250 13-18 year old normotensive AA youth within the context of SES.
