Comparing the trends of elevated blood pressure in appalachian and non-appalachian regions

As an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, hypertension risks are often thought to be more prevalent in Appalachian mountain ranges when compared with other neighboring counterpart regions. This study evaluated blood pressure (BP) readings among 2358 Kentucky residents attending community stroke risk screening events held in 15 counties, including nine Appalachian counties (n=1134) and six non-Appalachian counties (n=1224). With high BP being operationally defined as ≥140/90 mm Hg, 41.5% of Appalachian county residents had elevated BP compared with 42.6% among those from non-Appalachian counties. Although the counties with the highest rates of elevated BP did tend to reside in the Appalachian region, there was no significant difference between rates of elevated BP in Appalachia vs non-Appalachian counties. This dataset is proposed as a pilot project to encourage further pursuit of a larger controlled project.