Undiagnosed and Uncontrolled Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia among Immigrants in the US

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality and disability. We analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1998-2008). We used logistic regression analysis to compare the odds of having undiagnosed and uncontrolled hypertension and hyperlipidemia among FB and US born adults sequentially adjusting for (1) age and gender, (2) income and education, and (3) insurance status. Among FB individuals, we identified factors independently associated with having each outcome using logistic regression analyses. Of 27,596 US adults, 22.6 % were foreign-born. In age- and -gender adjusted analyses, FB were more likely to have undiagnosed hypertension (OR 1.35, 95 % CI 1.13-1.63, p < 0.001), uncontrolled hypertension (OR 1.37, 95 % CI 1.15-1.64, p < 0.001), and uncontrolled hyperlipidemia (OR 1.35, 95 % CI 1.11-1.63, p = 0.002), while undiagnosed hyperlipidemia approached significance (OR 1.24, 95 % CI 0.99-1.56, p = 0.057). Having insurance was associated with a 5-15 % decrease in FB-US born disparities. Immigrants are at increased risk of undiagnosed and uncontrolled hypertension and hyperlipidemia.