A study of 1000 South African non-white hypertensive patients

Abstract

This study consisted of the first 1 000 non-White hypertensive patients (500 Blacks and 500 Indians) who attended the hypertension clinic at King Edward VIII Hospital over a period of 12 years. Essential hypertension in the Blacks occurs in a younger age group in females, with death occurring in cerebrovascular episodes, uraemia or congestive cardiac failure. Accelerated hypertension was seen in 7% of the Black hypertensives, with death occurring frequently in uraemia. Ischaemic heart disease occurred in 12% of the Indian hypertensive pathnts, whereas it did not occur in the Blacks, although they developed congestive cardiac failure. The absence of ischaemic heart disease in Black hypertensive patients may suggest that hypertension is not an important predisposing event to myocardial infarction. Predisposing factors in the aetiology of hypertension in the Black and Indian patients are discussed. In the Indian hypertensive patient the incidence of hypertension rose with age, and complications were those of cerebrovascular episodes and congestive cardiac failure, including ischaemic heart disease and uraemia. A close relationship between diabetes mellitus and gouty arthritis was present in the Indian. It appears that hypertension is a common disease in the urbanised Black, and it is increasing in incidence.

.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 816 (1974).