223, Black Women More Likely to Have Idiopathic Intracranial HTN

Women with IIH are more likely to be Black and Hispanic and live in low-income tracts or food swamps.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is more likely among Black and Hispanic women and those living in low-income tracts and food swamps. According to a study published in Neurology, the correlation with Black race remains significant after adjustment for other variables.

Venkatesh L. Brahma, M.D., from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues conducted a retrospective case-control study of adult female neuro-ophthalmology patients from one institution. 223 women with and 4,783 without IIH were included to examine the correlation with socioeconomic determinants of health.

The researchers found that women with IIH were more likely to be Black or Hispanic and to live in low-income tracts or food swamps after adjustment for age (odds ratios, 3.96, 2.23, 2.24, and 1.54, respectively). Compared with controls, IIH patients were less likely to live in food deserts (odds ratio, 0.61). Even after adjusting for other variables, the correlation between the Black race and IIH remained significant.

“Our results support racial disparities that can be seen in this condition,” Brahma said. “Though at least some of this relationship is driven by the link between obesity and idiopathic intracranial hypertension with low-income neighborhoods and food swamps, it does not fully explain the differences, and other systemic health disparities are likely involved.”

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries; one disclosed receiving fees for expert testimony and opinions in medical-legal cases.

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