American journal of preventive medicine
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Clinical research has suggested that isolated systolic hypertension differs from essential hypertension in terms of pathophysiological change. Yet little is known of the descriptive epidemiology of isolated systolic hypertension. This paper examines the prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension in biracial Alameda County, California. ⋯ Comparison with the prevalence estimates of isolated systolic hypertension from biracial, rural Evans County, Georgia, indicated that the Alameda County prevalence was significantly lower for white women (p less than .01), black women (p less than .03), and total population (p less than .01). We posit that the larger number of people under care for essential hypertension is responsible for the lower occurrence of pure, isolated systolic hypertension in Alameda County. The results suggest the importance of female family members in the acceptance and promulgation of health promotion efforts for both essential and isolated systolic hypertension at the population level.