Why blacks are at higher risk of hypertension!!


Salt has been a very popular food condiment in all kitchens, as well as a preservative in food processing industries for years.

In spite of its advantages, studies and experts have revealed that certain individuals, especially blacks should exercise caution when taking salt in their diet, noting that even when taken in minimal quantities, it could lead to hypertension in some individuals.

At a forum organised by the Nigerian Academy of Science in Lagos, medical experts said reduction in salt intake remain the most effective way of preventing hypertension. They said this could be achieved as affected individuals make more conscious efforts to reduce their salt intake.

A Physiologist and Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, of Ogun State, Prof. Olusoga-Sofola,while delivering a lecture titled, “Salt Intake and Hypertension,” said blacks were more susceptible to the disease due to their higher salt sensitivity and intolerance.

Sofola said that studies in the last century revealed that blacks, including native Africans and African- Americans, had higher incidences of salt-induced hypertension.

He stated that science had conclusively shown that blacks had a tendency to respond with high blood pressure when they have a high concentration of salt in their systems than their Caucasian counterparts.

According to him, In Nigeria, ” The incidence of hypertension often reported is about 1,215 per cent while in the United States,it is about 29 per cent and 56 per cent in normotensive and hypertensive Caucasians respectively compared with 43 per cent and 72 per cent respectively in African Americans.In a study in Britain, blacks were reported to be as high as 50 per cent.”

Sofola stated that the reasons for these prominence in blacks were scientific and historical.

Historically,he said Africans in the olden days were not prone to the disease because they lacked the technology to process salt and used spices locally produced from herbs.

“In the olden days, they used herbal plants for cooking and food preservation, so we did not have any salt in our system, but with the advent of salt in our diet, our bodies have developed higher sensitivity to salt and we are now recording higher percentage of hypertension as a result of salt intake in Africans,” he said.

According to him, researches have shown that blacks with higher salt sensitivity lack a defective channel that increases accumulation of salt in the blood vessels thereby increasing blood pressure eventually leading to hypertension.

He added that individuals with high salt taste threshold consumed more salt because they would not be able to taste salt quickly in their food.

“We have different salt sensitivity, people who want to taste salt in every meal they have even when salt is added could have a higher salt taste threshold, so they are tempted to add salt to their food, raw salt consumption is very bad for the body, it‘s like an electric shock to the system,” he added.

Explaining the significance of his research to the country, Sofola said that ongoing experiments would help to develop a scientifically- based criteria for determining the salt sensitivity in an individual, this, he said, would help hypertension prediction and prevention in Nigeria.

“If we know a method to predict through test, then we can therefore carry out dietary counselling to susceptible individuals so as to reduce the tendency towards high blood pressure.

“Our experiments on the defective channel would also help us develop a possible genetic marker for identifying those with defective ENaC gene,this would go a long way in reducing the disease,” he added.

Sofola said salt which is in high concentration in spices such as maggi and other food condiments, canned and processed food products used in major eateries, should be reduced as much as possible.

In the same vein,another medical expert at the lecture, the Managing Director, Eko Hosipital, Lagos, Dr. Sunny Kuku, said that salt, sugar and fats which were the major components of food products in fast foods in high quantities, were not good for the body and could complicate the health of any individual.

“Salt leads to hypertension.Salt, fats and sugar are the major components of fast food and these things are not very good for the body, including diabetes and stroke especially in very young people,” he said.

Kuku said that though salt was essential for some body functions and in the diets of athletic and sports persons, it should be taken in moderation, saying any age group could have the disease.According to him, studies have shown that out of 100 hypertensive patients,20 will be diabetic and another 10 will also have stroke.”

He warned adults not to exceed the recommended daily consumption of 5grams of salt which is equivalent to a teaspoon in their meals, in addition to desisting from adding extra salt in to table food.

Sofola called on health professionals to identify salt sensitive individuals and offer subsequent counselling.

He urged food regulatory bodies in the country to regulate the use of salt in food products and eateries through publicising the labelling of salt contents in all food products being sold to consumers.


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thanks i will reduce my salt intake.

hmm, lord have mercy.

Apart from salt, other vices such as alcohol, obesity and sedentary life style play a role. Also blacks have fewer nephrons(functional unit of kidneys) per body surface area compared to other races, so solute load on the kidneys should be as minimal as possible. Hypertension is so common among blacks that any black person over 35 yrs who doesn't check his/her blood pressure regularly (once a month, same time, after 15 mins rest) is not wise! And if you're hypertensive, pls take your medications regularly, for life unless your doctor tells you to stop.