Introduction Healthy blood pressure is presented by physicians as 120/80; however, there are numerous incidences whereby the blood pressure level rises to 140/90 especially in stressful situations. If blood pressure persists at this level, then physicians diagnose the patient with hypertension. Studies show that a majority of americans experience a rise in blood pressure with age due to their poor diets and lack of physical activity (Cooper, Rotimi, & Ward, 1999). 25% of these Americans reach the level for hypertension diagnosis. “This accounts for about half a million fatalities per year due to kidney failure, heart disease and stroke” (Cooper, Rotimi, & Ward, 1999). Studies show that black americans are more likely to suffer hypertension, with the prevalence rate at 35% (Cooper, Rotimi, & Ward, 1999). Additionally, high blood pressure contributes to the death of over 20% of black americans in the united states. Studies show that people from African descent are highly inclined to hypertension due to their genetic makeup. Cooper, Rotimi, & Ward (1999) claims that this argument is biased because public health research tends to attribute health challenges to racial or genetic features with little or no consideration of other factors such as socioeconomic status. The study by Cooper, Rotimi, & Ward (1999) explores other causes of the disparity between blacks and whites by focusing on other variables with the exception of genetics. Research Questions Is the high susceptibility of African Americans to hypertension caused by other factors besides genetics? Does aging increase the susceptibility of African Americans to hypertension? Is it possible to avoid rising blood pressure in the modern life for people of all skin colors? How do environmental and biological risk factors interact to produce hypertension? Hypothesis Hypertension is caused by intricate “interactions among external factors (such as stress or diet), internal physiology (the biological systems that regulate blood pressure) and the genes involved in controlling blood pressure” (Cooper, Rotimi, & Ward, 1999). Higher levels of angiotensinogen in the RAAS correspond to high blood pressure. Study design   * Establishment of research stations in various communities in West Africa, South America and North America. The countries selected were Nigeria, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, St. Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica and the U.S.   * Focus of the project on Nigeria, Jamaica and the US: these three countries were selected due to the assumed genetic ties since the Americans in the US and Jamaica are believed to have migrated from West Africa between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries due to slave trade.   * Black people from different locations were randomly selected for testing to check for hypertension and its common risk factors (e.g. poor diet, obesity and physical inactivity). Findings The Nigerian community selected was rural, with complex family structures. The residents engaged in strenuous physical activity due to farming activities. “Their diet comprised conventional foods like rice, tubers and fruits” (Cooper, Rotimi, & Ward, 1999). In addition, the community did not have formal records of mortality and life expectancy. It was observed