The prevalence of hypertension in blacks in the United States is among the highest in the world. Compared with whites, blacks develop HBP earlier in life and their average blood pressures are much higher. As a result, compared with whites, blacks have a 1.3 times greater rate of nonfatal stroke, a 1.8 times greater rate of fatal stroke, a 1.5 times greater rate of heart disease death and a 4.2 times greater rate of end-stage kidney disease. Discharges 171,000 males and 267,000 females diagnosed with HBP were discharged from hospitals in 1998. ESRD morbidity rates vary dramatically among different age, race, ethnicity and sex population groups.
Morbidity rates tend to increase with age, then fall off for the oldest age group.
The excess CVD risk in people with chronic renal disease is caused, in part, by a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors in this group than in the general population. The main factors include older age, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and physical inactivity. In 1998, the estimated incidence of new ESRD patients was 85,520. 323,821 patients were being treated for ESRD by the end of 1998. 63,153 patients died from ESRD in 1998.