African‐American ethnicity is associated with higher plasma levels of D‐dimer in adults with hypertension

Background: African Americans with hypertension have higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than hypertensives from other ethnic groups. Plasma D‐dimer, a fragment generated from fibrin during lysis of mature clot in vivo, is a predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. Objective: We investigated whether plasma levels of D‐dimer differ between African American (AA) and non‐Hispanic white (NHW) adults with hypertension. Methods: Participants included 933 AA (65 ± 9 years, 72% women) and 821 NHW (61 ± 9 years, 56% women) from the community. D‐dimer was measured using an immunoturbidimetric assay. Multivariable regression analyses, stratified by gender, were performed to assess whether AA ethnicity was associated with D‐dimer levels after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), total and high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, history of smoking, medication (statin and aspirin) use, lifestyle variables (physical activity, alcohol intake, and education), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and a marker of inflammation, C‐reactive protein (CRP). Results: D‐dimer levels were higher in AA men and women than in their NHW counterparts (mean ± SD; men 256 ± 199 vs. 190 ± 183 ng mL−1, P