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New Study Suggests Black People with MS are More Likely to Have Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure than People with MS of Other Races

July 1, 2022

A newly published study suggests that Black people who have multiple sclerosis are more likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure, even in some taking medication for it, than White people with MS or other racial groups. The study  examined data from more than 10,000 people with MS who had at least two blood pressure readings recorded. The research team comprised researchers from the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
  • Background: Improving access to quality MS care across the cultural and socioeconomic spectrum means understanding how each group experiences and perceives the disease and identifying factors that limit access to care.
  • There is growing recognition that “comorbidities” – having two or more medical conditions at once – may complicate the diagnosis of MS and also increase disease progression, as well as detract from an individual’s general health and quality of life. A previous study looked at high blood pressure in Hispanic/Latinx people with MS. Understanding potential disparities in detecting and treating comorbidities in all people with MS is critical to minimizing their effects on the course of MS in all people who have this disease.
  • This study: Researchers examined data on 10,673 people with MS, including 1,442 Black people, who were enrolled in a multicenter registry of people with MS (MS PATHS). Among this group, Black people were 31% more likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure, meaning they had two or more high blood pressure readings, whether or not they were taking medication to lower blood pressure.
  • Black people with MS were also more likely than white people with MS to be taking medication to lower blood pressure. Among both Black and white people, those with diabetes or high cholesterol, and older adults, were more likely to be taking medication to lower blood pressure.
  • The authors note that further research is required to determine what is driving these disparities, and if uncontrolled hypertension may contribute to more severe MS. They also suggest this finding should encourage people with MS to visit their primary care physicians more than once a year so that underlying health conditions like hypertension and other comorbidities can be detected and treated.
Learn more about… “Racial disparities in hypertension management among multiple sclerosis patients” by Devon  Conway, Farren Briggs, Ellen Mowry, Kathryn Fitzgerald, and Carrie Hersh, is published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (2022 Jun 15;64:103972).

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. Currently there is no cure. Symptoms vary from person to person and may include disabling fatigue, mobility challenges, cognitive changes, and vision issues. An estimated 1 million people live with MS in the United States. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to minimize disability. Significant progress is being made to achieve a world free of MS.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National MS Society, founded in 1946, is the global leader of a growing movement dedicated to creating a world free of MS. The Society funds cutting-edge research for a cure, drives change through advocacy and provides programs and services to help people affected by MS live their best lives. Connect to learn more and get involved: nationalMSsociety.org, Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or 1-800-344-4867.

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