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Disproportionate COVID-19 death rate among blacks due to combination of hypertension + aversion to prescribe ACE inhibitors?

Louisiana Data: Virus Hits Blacks, People With Hypertension

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/louisiana/articles/2020-04-07/louisiana-data-virus-hits-blacks-people-with-hypertension

Although African Americans account for one-third of Louisiana’s population, they represent more than 70% of the state’s deaths from COVID-19 caused by the virus, according to the data. Gov. John Bel Edwards called that racial disparity disturbing.

ACE Inhibitors May Not Be as Effective in Black Patients

https://www.thecardiologyadvisor.com/home/topics/hypertension/ace-inhibitors-may-not-be-as-effective-in-black-patients/

“Our findings demonstrate that hypertensive blacks on an ACE inhibitor-based regimen had higher rates of [cardiovascular] events and were at higher risk of the composite outcome of all-cause mortality, nonfatal AMI, or nonfatal stroke than whites on an ACE inhibitor-based regimen,” wrote study author Gbenga Ogedegbe, MD, MPH, of New York University Langone Medical Center, and colleagues.

They examined data from nearly 60,000 patients with high blood pressure who received care within New York City’s Health and Hospital Corporation from January 2004 to December 2009. In addition to a hypertension diagnosis, all participants had been prescribed an ACE inhibitor, beta blocker, thiazide-type diuretic, or calcium-channel blocker for at least six months.

“The results of this study add to a growing consensus among physicians that treatment of hypertension in blacks should not be initiated with ACE inhibitors,” Dr. Ogedegbe said during a press release.