Hispanics respond well to blood pressure meds

NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) People of Hispanic ethnicity with high blood pressure have a better response to blood pressure-lowering drugs than do their non-Hispanic counterparts, according to the results of a new study.

''We have shown that in patients of Hispanic ethnicity, it took fewer drugs to lower blood pressure adequately, and in doing so, Hispanic patients had fewer strokes and fewer heart attacks than their black or Caucasian counterparts,'' Dr. Rhonda M. Cooper-DeHoff from the University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, told Reuters Health.

Cooper-DeHoff and colleagues evaluated blood pressure control and risk of adverse outcomes in 8045 Hispanic patients and 14,531 non-Hispanic patients, all with coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. They were participants in an international study comparing a calcium-channel blocker with a beta-blocker for treating high blood pressure. Other types of drugs could be added as needed.

Hispanic patients achieved a significantly greater average reduction in systolic blood pressure (the top reading) than did non-Hispanic patients, the researchers report, though changes in diastolic blood pressure (lower number) did not differ between the groups.

''Interestingly, this better blood pressure control in Hispanic patients was achieved with fewer drugs compared with the non-Hispanic patients.'' the investigators write in the American Heart Journal.

During follow-up, Hispanic patients also had a 13 percent lower risk of a heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause than did non-Hispanics, regardless of the drugs they took.

However, overall, Hispanic patients were still more likely than non-Hispanics to develop diabetes.

''Our data suggest that Hispanic ethnicity places a hypertensive, coronary-artery-disease patient at significantly increased risk for developing diabetes,'' Cooper-DeHoff said.

REUTERS CH HS0842