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Salt Sensitivity and Hypertension in African Blacks

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Pathophysiology of Hypertension in Blacks

Part of the book series: Clinical Physiology Series ((CLINPHY))

Abstract

Hypertension is a relatively new disease in Africa, and it appears that its increasing prevalence is related to the adoption of living patterns similar to those found in Europe and North America. Since in the developing countries of Africa, large numbers of people are migrating to urban areas where they tend to adopt a more Western lifestyle, hypertension is of increasing concern to Africans. Among the many changes associated with Westernization that could be responsible for increased hypertension are an increase in psychosocial stress, higher intake of alcohol, more obesity, reduction in dietary fiber, increased dietary fat and simple carbohydrates, and altered dietary electrolytes.

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Mufunda, J., Sparks, H.V. (1993). Salt Sensitivity and Hypertension in African Blacks. In: Fray, J.C.S., Douglas, J.G. (eds) Pathophysiology of Hypertension in Blacks. Clinical Physiology Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7577-4_7

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