A new nationwide analysis of more than 360,000 adult hospitalizations shows that race remains a powerful predictor of whether a patient with hypertension leaves the hospital alive. Black adults hospitalized for hypertension-related problems had a 55% higher likelihood of dying in the hospital than White patients, even after accounting for age, sex, diabetes, insurance, and hospital location. The authors report that all racial groups except Native Americans faced significantly higher odds of in-hospital death compared with White patients, underscoring deep racial disparities in hypertension outcomes.
Researchers describe hypertension as a chronic condition that drives heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and premature mortality, and note that its control remains “persistently” poor in the United States. They link racial disparities to systemic inequality and discrimination that limit equal rights and access to care, citing poor implementation of health policies, poor access to care, and adverse socioeconomic conditions as factors that “may have a huge impact on hypertensive care.”
The study finds that while White patients accounted for most hypertension-related hospital deaths because they made up the largest share of hospitalizations, adjusted mortality odds were higher for Black and Hispanic patients. The authors connect this elevated risk to barriers such as delayed diagnosis, inadequate access to healthcare, lower treatment adherence, and the “impact of structural racism on health outcomes.
To close these gaps, the paper calls for “racially focused interventions,” including expanding Medicaid eligibility, increasing funding for community health centers, recruiting diverse providers, and providing culturally sensitive, bias-free hypertension care and education so that “all adults” receive high-quality treatment regardless of race or ethnicity.
See: “Racial Disparities in Hypertension-Related Hospital Mortality Among Adults in the United States” (March 23, 2025)
