Health Matters: Understanding High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention

Heart disease and stroke remain two of the leading causes of illness and premature death in the UK — but the risk is not shared equally.

The numbers tell the story:

• 🩺 Hypertension prevalence is highest among Black Caribbean, Black African and Pakistani adults in England, compared with all other ethnic groups.

• 📈 Studies in England have found hypertension rates of around 31–34% among Black Caribbean adults — significantly higher than in White populations, even after accounting for age, weight, smoking and alcohol use.

• 🧠 A major 30-year South London Stroke Register study (2026) found stroke incidence is now more than twice as high in Black African and Black Caribbean populations compared with the White population.

• ⚠️ Compared with White patients, Black African and Black Caribbean people are far more likely to have high blood pressure (47% and 29% higher, respectively) and diabetes (92% and 123% higher, respectively) — both major stroke risk factors.

• ⏳ On average, Black African people experience their first stroke 10–12 years earlier than White people.

• 🔍 Worryingly, 1 in 8 Black African stroke patients had no diagnosed risk factors beforehand — a sign that too many cases are going undetected until it’s too late.