UCLA

High blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, is a major health issue for the American Indian population in the United States. Blood pressure can be described as the force of person’s blood pushing on the walls of their veins. Hypertension is a sustained high blood pressure over a long period of time, which can lead to many negative health outcomes. Hypertension is also strongly associated with other cardiovascular conditions, and may exacerbate those conditions further in an individual. The purpose of this research is to identify the prevalence of high blood pressure among American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in two counties in Southern California (Los Angeles and Orange), and to compare those numbers with the general population in the same region of the state. Findings conclude that AI/AN living in LA/Orange county have lower rates of high blood pressure than their rural counterparts in Southern California.