Contact: Paul Kurlansky, M.D.
Email: pak@floridaheart.org
Direct Line: (305) 674-3154

For Immediate Release

Hypertension Control a Major Challenge in Miami's
Hispanic Population

Miami, Florida, May 19, 2008—In a provocative study released at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New Orleans, researchers from the Florida Heart Research Institute identified significant differences in the control of hypertension between Hispanic patients who did and did not have health care insurance.   Although the prevalence of hypertension was similar between the insured and uninsured groups (29.4% vs. 31.4%), the adequacy of control was dramatically different between groups.  A greater percentage of hypertensives with health insurance had access to anti-hypertensive medications (67.6% vs. 58.5%).  Likewise, a greater proportion of insured vs. non-insured hypertensives were under adequate blood pressure control (39.4% vs. 24.2%).  The astonishing fact here is that even amongst Hispanics with access to health insurance, the majority (60.6%) did not have adequate control of their hypertension. 

These findings arise from a landmark study which the Florida Heart Research Institute (FHRI) has undertaken exploring cardiovascular risk in the Miami Hispanic population.  Drawing from a study sample of over 5,000 subjects, this study has already released findings at the recent  American Heart Association annual conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention demonstrating an increased prevalence of hypertension in the Miami Hispanic population compared with a comparable group of non-Hispanic whites.  This research is unique, in that previous studies of the Hispanic population have focused on the Mexican American population, rather than the largely Caribbean and South American population found in Miami.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death and disability in the U.S.  In 2003, an estimated 65,000 Floridians died of heart related illness (nearly 40% of all deaths), and hospitalization costs to care for Floridians with heart disease exceeded $4.4 billion. 

FHRI was founded more than 60 years ago as Miami Heart Research Institute, an international leader with a mission to Stop Heart Disease through cardiovascular research, education, and prevention programs.  For more information regarding these and other exciting projects at Florida Heart Research Institute, please contact Dr. Paul Kurlansky at (305) 674-3154, or visit us at www.floridaheartresearch.org

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