Arterial stiffness in black adults from Angola and Brazil.

Ethnicity is an important determinant of blood pressure levels, being black individuals affected more than any other ethnic group. Arterial stiffening, an independent risk factor for hypertension, is also influenced by ethnicity. However, whether black individuals from different continents would have different patterns of arterial stiffening is still unknown.

Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Black Africans.

Introduction: African-Americans present higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) when compared with white populations. However, there is a lack of information about the prevalence and determinants of LVH in black individuals living in Africa.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with a non-probabilistic sample comprised of 609 University workers from Angola/Africa, describing the prevalence of LVH and the determinants of left ventricular mass.