Study: Filipino adults among those likely to suffer from high blood pressure

Just when we thought a few cups of extra rice over our adobo or curries wouldn’t hurt our health, well, think again. A new study reveals that Filipinos and Indians are among the Asian American groups at higher risk for high blood pressure.

Given that six to seven percent of the US population make up 24 million Asian Americans, research on cardiovascular diseases and their risks to this group are often overlooked.

Apparently, some researchers came up with this new study using data from the 13 million Asian adults who participated in the National Health Interview Survey from 2013 to 2018.

Dividing the data into four groups—Chinese, Filipino, Indian, and other Asian descent—the researchers found that Filipinos are at higher risk of having high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes than the Chinese.

Findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions conference in Philadelphia. According to Heart.org, these results are just the first chapters while the rest are meant for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Filipino adults taking the lead in high blood pressure

When it comes to cardiovascular health, Filipino adults are at the forefront of high blood pressure—a major culprit for heart attacks, strokes, and heart diseases. In fact, PRESYON studies in the Philippines found that hypertension rates soared from 22 percent in the 1990s to 37 percent in 2021.

With the World Health Organization’s recent confirmation that too much sodium intake can cause high blood pressure, it’s no surprise that Filipinos are top candidates given our penchant for salty, sweet, and savory foods.

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Furthermore, the study also reveals Filipino adults have higher rates of smoking. Owing to this outcome, Sudsheesha Perea, a medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, highlighted the need for more studies on the heart health of all Asian subgroups.

In addition, Dr. Latha Palaniappan, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University and an internal medicine doctor, also noted the importance of more research into the specific Asian group at higher risk for strokes, asthma, cancer, and even mental health.