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| Slaves Marched Thousand Miles to Coast |
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, has often been called "the silent killer." In the African-American community, it's presence seems almost genocidal. Forty-one percent of blacks have high blood pressure, as compared to 27% of whites. They develop it at younger ages and are more likely to suffer such complications as kidney diseases, stroke, blindness and heart disease
.(Wed MD). In searching for causes,
a vigorous debate has arisen in the medical community. Some researchers point to genetic factors, believing that the problem is due to hereditary factors in the make-up of people with African ancestry. Others, point to environmental factors such as the
psychological strains of dealing with racism. But as a historian, I may have stumbled upon an altogether different take on this vital subject.
I sometimes cringe when researchers, however well intentioned, make distinctions based on race. Despite this potential pitfall, understanding how our ancestral and geological heritage can affect our health might even save lives. And let's remember that the unscientific concept of each race encompasses billions of people. Our genomic profile is extraordinarily attuned to our localized environment, altitude, soil conditions, climactic conditions, disease susceptibilities and more.
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