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 Living in high-crime areas has long been linked to higher rates of
heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors like high blood
pressure, diabetes and smoking, researchers note in the American
Journal of Hypertension. But studies to date haven't offered a clear
picture of what happens when crime rates change over time.
"Our study demonstrates for the first time that rising violent crime
rates are associated with an increase in patients' blood pressure
and healthcare system usage over time," said Dr. Corey Tabit, a
cardiology researcher at the University of Chicago and the study's
senior author.
The researchers tracked shifts in blood pressure for 17,783 adults
living in Chicago from 2014 to 2016, a period when crime surged in
some communities. They also calculated violent crime rates in each
community by looking at the number of incidents per year for every
1,000 people in a census tract.
At the start of the study, half of the census tracts had violent
crime rates of at least 41.3 incidents for every 1,000 residents.
Over the three-year study period, crime rates rose in some places by
as much as 59.1 incidents a year per 1,000 people and dropped by as
much as 31.1 per 1,000 in other parts of the city.
Overall, each increase of 20 incidents/1,000 in violent crime rates
in the city was associated with 3% higher odds of having blood
pressure that was elevated above 140/90 mmHg, which is just above
the range considered healthy. Each 20-unit increase was also linked
to 6% higher odds of having a hospital admission for cardiovascular
problems.
"Interestingly, a larger increase in blood pressure was observed in
people living in lower-crime areas than in people living in
higher-crime areas," Tabit said by email. "This finding may suggest
that people with chronically high exposure to crime may become
accustomed to the conditions in their neighborhood which may
insulate them from the negative effects of further increases in
crime."
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In communities where violent crime surged during the study period, a
20-unit increase in the violent crime rate was associated with 8%
lower odds of elevated blood pressure.
But in safer neighborhoods, a 20-unit increase in citywide violent
crime rates was associated with 5% higher odds of elevated blood
pressure.
The study wasn't designed to determine how shifts in crime rates
might directly impact blood pressure. And researchers didn't examine
crime exposure at the individual level to see if experiencing
violence had a different impact on blood pressure than simply living
in a high-crime or low-crime area.
"It is not yet known if the increased risk faced by people who live
in high-crime communities can be mitigated medically or
behaviorally," Tabit said.
But all people should still be encouraged to live a heart-healthy
lifestyle by doing things like avoiding tobacco and getting 150
minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous
exercise each week, Tabit advised.
"Similarly, eating a balanced diet low in saturated fats and high in
vegetables is a good way to maintain heart health for most people,
although specific dietary needs also vary and patients should
discuss their unique needs with their doctors," Tabit added.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2kEe8n7 American Journal of Hypertension,
online August 15, 2019.
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