JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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To determine whether the higher rate of hospitalization among African Americans for congestive heart failure (CHF) could be explained by racial differences in the prevalence of clinical risk factors for CHF. ⋯ In this HMO population, the race differences in first hospitalization for CHF are largely explained by known clinical and behavioral risk factors, although in younger women these risk factors do not completely explain the excess risk among African Americans. These findings highlight the role of hypertension and diabetes in the development of CHF, particularly among African Americans.