...CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN Richard Allen Williams, M.D. Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine President/CEO, Minority Health Institute, Los Angeles, California Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has long been considered a disorder which principally affects men in our society; consideration of the occurrence of heart attacks in females, for example, has been largely an afterthought. In the past few years, however, it has become increasingly obvious that this is not a problem limited to males, but that it occurs with great frequency in women. We now know that CVD is the cause of death more than any condition in women over the age of 50, including cancer (1) and in fact is responsible for more than a third of all deaths in women (2). It is estimated that 370,000 women in the United States die from heart disease each year. However, our knowledge base regarding CVD in African American (AA) women has not kept pace with the accumulation of data on white females. Thus, there is a deficit of information about this subgroup and the prevalence of CVD despite the fact that black women have more risk factors for CVD than do white women (3). The purpose of this paper is to review the subject of CVD in African American women and to focus upon four principal CVD categories: Coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, stroke, and congestive heart failure (CHF).The impact of gender and race on each of these...
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...thought of herself as perfectly healthy. But it turns out Shermane had been at risk all along. Like many other African American women, she had a strong family history of high blood pressure and heart disease. Unfortunately, she didn’t discover this until it was almost too late. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in women, and stroke disproportionately affects African Americans. Importantly, African American women are less likely than Caucasian women to be aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death. Diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity and a family history of heart disease are all greatly prevalent among African Americans and are major risk factors for heart disease and stroke. What’s more, African American women have almost two times the risk of stroke than Caucasians, and more likely to die at an earlier age when compared to women of other ethnicities. Here are a few unsettling stats: Cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 50,000 African American women annually. Of African-American women ages 20 and older, 49 percent have heart diseases. Only 1 in 5 African American women believes she is personally at risk. Only 52 percent of African American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Only 36 percent of African American women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk....
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...inequalities are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “gaps in health outcomes or determinants between segments of the population”. The CDC has put together the CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report in 2013 to address the many issues concerning the health disparities of minority groups in the United States. One of the minority groups addressed in the report is the African American or black ethnic group that in 2013 comprised of 15% of the United States population. More African Americans rate health services in their community as fair to poor than whites (Becker and Newsom, 2003). Life expectancy has more than doubled for African Americans in the 20th century but they still face a higher burden of disability, disease and death than do whites (Becker and Newsom, 2003). By identifying and understanding the health disparities and being aware of the differences regarding health determinants and outcomes in the African American population the better able we are to do something to reduce these disparities (CDC Newsroom). The top three Health disparities among the African American population include heart disease as the number one cause of death, cancer, and stroke (CDC and Prevention). African Americans had the largest number of deaths from heart disease and stroke in the United States compared to other ethnic groups. They have the highest prevalence in untreated hypertension which leads to both heart disease and strokes. (CDC) They’re less likely to...
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...Factors for Cardiovascular Disease By: Fawn R. Stephen-Odle June 2012 Cardiovascular disease is caused by disorders of the heart and blood vessels, and includes coronary heart disease (heart attacks), cerebrovascular disease (stroke), raised blood pressure (hypertension), peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, and heart failure. The major causes of cardiovascular disease are tobacco use, physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet and harmful use of alcohol. Unfortunately, there are four non-modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVD (cardiovascular disease). Race and Ethnicity: Race and ethnicity have quite a bit to do with risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Studies show that African Americans have a higher risk for Cardiovascular Disease because of higher blood pressure levels, overweight and obesity, compared to Caucasians. Higher blood pressure levels are among the highest in African Americans in the world. Mexican Americans and Native Americans are also at higher risk for heart disease because of higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and smoking. Studies also show that about 77% of African American women, 72% of Mexican American women, and 61% of Native American women are overweight or obese, compared to 57% of Caucasian women. Taking precautions such as eating a proper diet, exercise, lessen use of alcohol, and quitting smoking can reduce a person’s chances of contracting Cardiovascular Disease. All races and ethnicities...
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...Health Situations That Affect Black Women A lot of black women often experience certain health conditions such as breast cancer, heart disease, and cervical cancer among many others. We’ve gathered some of the most common health issues African-American women face and how they can prevent them. Breast Cancer One out of nine women who are developing breast cancer is a black woman. Based on statistics from the American Cancer Society, black women are more likely to pass away from this deadly disease at the rate of one in thirty-one. Adrienne Phillips M.D., an oncologist cites that the reasons why black women have a higher mortality rate is because of biology, genetics, and environment. They are more likely to be diagnosed with triple-negative...
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...Effects of Disease on the Health Care Industry: Cardiovascular disease HCS/245 Patricia Talbert Due: 03/16/2015 University of Phoenix Material Effects of Disease on the Health Care Industry: Cardiovascular Health Complete the table below for 2 diseases that you have chosen that affects cardiovascular health. In each box, you are required to list 3-5 bulleted statements regarding the heading of that box. Cite your sources using APA format. This section is due in Week Three. |Chosen Cardiovascular Disease |Treatment Modalities |Cultural Beliefs/Practices |Epidemiological Statistics |Available Consumer Resources |Impact on Society | |or Disorder | |Affecting this Disease | |(ex. financing, information, support) | | |Coronary Artery Disease |Quitting smoking and avoiding |Heart disease is a man's disease. |Cardiovascular diseases cause |The CDC addresses heart disease. Great |According to the Centers for Disease | | |secondhand smoke. |(MYTH) |nearly one-third of all deaths |source for researching information. |Control and Prevention, heart disease | | | | ...
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...The Prevalence of Heart Disease for African Americans Lucinda Kroll Grand Canyon University The Prevalence of Heart Disease for African Americans American physicians have drastically reduced cardiovascular mortality and the death rates have decreased 17% since the 1990's (Nash, 2003). Their have been so many advances in open heart surgery, heart transplantations, and thrombolysis in the past decade. Their have also been great strides made in medications with heart disease patients (Nash, 2003). Unfortunately, the African American culture has not seen as much advancement as other cultures (Nash, 2003). African Americans have the highest rate of heart disease compared to all other ethnic groups (Nash, 2003). The CDC reports the 24.5% of deaths caused by heart disease in 2008 were African American and they had the highest percentage compared to other cultures (CDC, 2015). African Americans are at three time's greater risk to develop heart disease than Caucasians and two times more at risk of death from heart disease (Winham and Jones, 2011). For example, African Americans have been diagnosed at younger ages than Caucasians and are more likely to die from heart failure (Nash, 2003). They are also at a younger age when they experience their first myocardial infarction than Caucasians (Nash, 2003). Sadly stage 3 hypertension (ie., blood pressure >180/110), is reported to be the highest in the world for the African American community (Nash, 2003). This cultural...
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...INTRODUCTION African Americans including those of more than one race constitute 15.2% of the U.S population. (CDC, 2011) The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted in 2012 reports that white (38%) and Asians (37%) are more likely to be in excellent health than African Americans (31%). (NHIS) 14.6% of blacks of all ages reported of poor or fair health which is higher than the general population.37.9% of African American men and 57.6% of women above the age of 20 are obese.39.9% of men and 44.5% of women above 20 of African American origin have hypertension.17.8% of African American people under 65 does not have health insurance.(CDC,2011) Leading causes of death among African Americans are heart disease, cancer and stroke. Obesity and diabetes are twice as prevalent among Africans compared to white adults. They have the largest death rates from homicides compared to any racial or ethnic population.(CDC,2011) African Americans also have the highest incidence and death rates from colorectal cancer and HIV infection rates. Prescribed HIV treatment among African Americans living with HIV is also less compared to white adults.(CDC,2011) A larger percent of African American adults live in poverty and does not have a high school education compared to the general population. All of this data points toward poor health status among African Americans. Studies have shown that African Americans underutilize preventive...
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...Health Promotion among Diverse Populations Andrelle Joseph Grand Canyon University NRS-429V Family-Centered Health Promotion Health Promotion among Diverse Populations Gee (2012) suggested that Health is the basic need for the realization and the attainment of higher levels of human development index (HDI). For instance, greater adherence to healthy living conditions handles the occurrence of higher living standards in developed countries like Japan and the United States of America (79 Years). Furthermore, a healthy nation has a chance to reap the benefits of active and rejuvenated workforce that facilitate her progress. The government has a role to ensure that her citizens meet basic health requirements through the provision of essential services to the public. This paper will discuss health situation among the African Americans for comparison and contrast to the national averages. Current Health Status of African Americans Gee (2012) noted that the African Americans have a substandard health status compared to the national average. For instance, this racial group had the highest death rates in 2009 according to the reports of the Center for Disease Control of the United States of America. The deaths occur following severe heart disease and stroke among this race. Moreover, the adults above 65 years in this race had the highest prevalence of hypertension thus surpassing the average records...
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...is a 35-year-old African American woman raising15-year-old son Randall by herself. The father helps occasionally with child support, but it is Ms. Johnson who has primary custody of her son. Ms. Johnson works as an administrative assistant, however, she has a degree in marketing. Her job is stressful and although she has asked her boss to hire someone to help her, he has not done so. Ms. Johnson is unhappy with her job as she is clearly overqualified. She has not been able to find a job in marketing and does not want to move out of the area to look for employment because she’s lived there all her life and her family is there. Ms. Johnson’s family situation is not an uncommon one. According to Jacobson (2003), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated in a report that came in out in August, 2012, that approximately 67% of the African American homes in America children are being raised by the mothers. It is also suggested in "Incarceration Rate For African-Americans Now Six Times The National Average" (2013), that there are more African American males who are either uneducated or spend time in jail and therefore, this leaves the women little selection for a marriage partner. According to Culvert (2007) this same fact is reiterated about there being a limited number of African American males to marry because they are spending their time in jail. In an article by Hamilton-Mason, Hall & Everett (2009), they state that African American women, “. . . are often...
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...lot of diseases which affect our communities. These diseases end up causing a lot of deaths. It is therefore important that nurses come up with a strategy of managing these deadly diseases. Examples of these deadly diseases are the heart diseases and stroke. Heart diseases are the leading causes of deaths in America. Stroke is ranked the third most cause of death in America. A combination of the two diseases poses a great threat to the communities of the United States. An advantage which people have over these diseases is that, these are also the most preventable diseases. They are caused by various factors which may include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking cigarettes, obesity and overweight. These diseases are controllable by one managing their own lifestyles and living a healthy life. The issue being looked in this context is to reduce the community health problems. (Kvan, 2008) The goal of the nursing assessments is to improve the various health care systems in various communities and hence improve the quality of life. This is done through treatment of risk factors which cause heart diseases. The only hope about heart diseases and stroke is that, an early detection of any cardiovascular diseases can be easily treated. The community development programs prevent the reoccurrence of repeated cardiovascular diseases.(Lloyd, 2010) However, this is not an easy task. First, controlling the factors which majorly contribute to stroke and heart diseases...
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...regarding a person’s health is prevention that is talked among the professionals in the health community. This will be the only way to help the cycle to break that will further prevent other diseases from occurring. Using epidemiology and the epidemiology triangle diabetes in African Americans will be observed. This health concern in many communities in the United States can be prevented and helped, but information is the key to success. In this paper we will be examining the definition and description of epidemiology, the steps and methods of epidemiology, reviewing the data of the selected population. We will also be looking at the epidemiological triangle as well as various levels of prevention. Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events (including disease), and the application of this study to the control of diseases and other health problems. Various methods can be used to carry out epidemiological investigations: surveillance and descriptive studies can be used to study distribution; analytical studies are used to study determinants (WHO, 2012). Epidemiology is a type of science that guides our understanding of the strong points of how exposure and the relation to how it effects our health. Epidemiology can be used for many things such as the use of occupationally associated illnesses (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 222, 2012). According to the Center of Disease and Control, epidemiology is the study of the distribution...
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...Health Disparity Among African-Americans Melissa Swanson Grand Canyon University Family Centered Health Promotion NRS-429V-0506 Sandi Coufal February 8, 2015 Heath Disparity among African-Americans The United States is a melting pot of cultural diversity. For a country that was founded by individuals fleeing persecution, it has taken us many years to grant African-Americans equal rights, and even longer for those rights to be recognized. Despite all the effort to eliminate inequality in this country, health disparity among this minority group remains a significant issue. Research in this area has pointed to several key reasons for this gap that center on differences in culture, socioeconomics, and lack of health literacy. The CDC Health Disparities & Inequalities Report of 2011 shows the average American’s life expectancy at 78.8 years, while the average African-American should expect to live only 75.3 years. The statistics gathered by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are striking in painting the health status of African-Americans in this country. African-American infants have a mortality rate twice that of Caucasian infants. The CDC recognized that African-Americans lead the nation in death rates from heart disease and stroke, as compared to any other ethnicity. The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health presented data in 2012 showing that African-American adults have a 40% higher rate of hypertension and a 10% less...
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...OF HEART DISEASE INTRODUCTION Using a descriptive epidemiology approach, this paper will define heart disease and identify the problems of this disease on a local, state, and national level. The objectives of heart disease will be discussed and explored according to health data sources. Also, the impact of the effectiveness of the interventional programs that are designed and implemented to treat and prevent heart disease will be evaluated and discussed, as well. WHAT IS EPIDEMIOLOGY? In layman’s terms, epidemiology can be defined as the study of anything that happens or befalls men. According to Stanhope & Lancaster (2010), “epidemiology is the science that explains the strength of association between exposures and health effects in human populations.” This study deals with distribution and determinants of health related states and the purpose of these studies are to control health. The goal of epidemiology is to identify and understand the casual factors and mechanism of disease, disability, and injuries so that effective programs and interventions can be designed to prevent the occurrences of these disease processes before they begin or progress, (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2010). 3 Epidemiology Part 1 DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY APPROACH OF HEART DISEASE Up to Date (2013) defines coronary heart disease as a pathological process that affects the coronary arteries and the entire arterial circulation. Coronary heart disease and...
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...Sonya Dakers Eng215 Strayer University Healths disparities in the African American community are nearly double that of any other ethnic group in South Carolina. The reasons may be lack of health care availability or maybe the lack of knowledge. Many African Americans have the mindset that what we do not know will not harm us, but what we do not know will kill us. It is important to realize that the need for prevention is great. Breast and Prostate Cancer screening programs, educational programs that show the effects of second hand smoke on our community and the importance of nutrition are desperately needed. This paper will argue the reasons why more African American faith based organizations should become involved in the health and well-being of their participants. The intended audience is Pastors, Bishops, Deacons, and congregations’ in general. Some believe that God made us in His image so we should not only focus on the spiritual aspect of worship but also on the physical aspects as well. A Pastor once said that an unhealthy member cannot focus on tithing or on God’s business because they are focusing on their own agenda. The African American faith based community must come together to eliminate health disparities not only to help their congregations to focus on the spiritual, but to become better people in an ever growing global economy. Recent studies show the effects of dieases on the general population...
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