I am not sure if my Forbes editor will see this story as a part of my "swimlane" of topics to write about, but I see it. If you are still reading this, then it means he did too. Acclaimed movie director John Singleton died this week from complications related to a stroke. He struggled with hypertension, and his family is urging people, particularly African Americans, to routinely check or manager their blood pressure. The connection between hypertension and stroke is well-established. What resonated for me is that Singleton was very close to my age. I also reflected on my own journey with science as well as my encounter with hypertension. My story weaves research, life experiences, health, and atmospheric sciences into an urgent call.
As a youth, I was fascinated by science. "Can A 6th Grader Predict The Weather?" was my first science project. I switched to that project after realizing that a bee sting allergy was not conducive to a project on honeybees. The project led to a string of award-winning science projects culminating in my 8th grade science project, "Do Blacks Have Higher Blood Pressure Than Whites?" In that project (image below), I took the blood pressure of a sample of white and black residents in my hometown. I also surveyed them for information on diet, smoking habits, exercise and so forth. The results of my 8th grade science project revealed that, on average, African Americans did have higher blood pressure rates. More sophisticated scientific studies confirm that hypertension rates vary as a a function of race though reasons for the disparities remain elusive, according to many studies. Obesity, diabetes, and a gene that makes African-Americans more salt-sensitive have been discussed. The American Heart Association website says, "In people who have this gene, as little as one extra gram (half a teaspoon) of salt could raise blood pressure as much as 5 mm Hg."
In 2016, I went to an urgent care facility for a bronchitis cough. I have generally been healthy, active and with no previous hypertension issues. My blood pressure was quite high. I had a routine physical examination scheduled for the following Monday, but I checked it periodically at a local pharmacy. It remained high. I even took myself to the Emergency Room on the Saturday before my physical examination. It was down some but not enough to prevent my doctor from prescribing blood pressure medication. I also made small changes to my diet, monitored sodium intake, and increased cardiovascular exercise. Over time, my blood pressure decreased and stopped taking the medication. Unfortunately, this is not the end of the story.
A few months ago I visited Gwinnett Dental Images, the dental practice of Dr. Barry Malkiel. After my teeth cleaning, I was told that they do routine blood pressure checks as a part of their service. I remember thinking, "hmm, that's odd, but ok whatever." My blood pressure was elevated. While it was not as high as my initial scare, it was enough for me to call my doctor immediately. I am now back on medication.
I was compelled to write this essay as an urgent plea to all readers and as a smack in the head for me. I am an atmospheric scientist. I use all types of data to assess, diagnose, and understand weather-climate processes. My climate science colleagues and I constantly argue, for example, that multiple datasets from satellites, models, and ground observations clearly reveal that climate is changing. I routinely look at radar data or balloon soundings to assess the potential for severe weather. In my field, the data tells me things of importance for diagnostics and forecasting. In the medical field, the data does the same thing.
According to the American Heart Association,
The prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) in African-Americans in the United States is among the highest in the world. More than 40 percent of non-Hispanic African-American men and women have high blood pressure.
In contrast to the national average, inner-city African-American patients are 5 times more likely to have hypertensive emergency, according to investigators from Rutgers University. Hypertensive emergency, which is classified as extremely high blood pressure that leads to strokes, heart attacks, and acute kidney damage, occurs in 1 in 3 adults. However, the highest rates of hypertension are among African Americans.
With statistics like this, I would be as guilty as those that I criticize for denial of climate data if I dismissed what my blood pressure readings are saying, especially as an African American male.
I always reflect on how important my 6th grade science project was to my meteorology career. However, my 8th grade science project about hypertension has been on my mind lately. Check your blood pressure now.
