...Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and stroke which have a systolic and a diastolic blood pressure level of >140/90 mmHg. 31% of US adults continue to suffer from hypertension, with minorities being more likely to have the condition. Of these, 25% have uncontrolled blood pressure. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 1999–2002 showed that the hypertension prevalence rate was highest among African American, almost 50% higher than white people. African Americans develop hypertension at an early age, reach advanced levels of hypertension, are prone to experience further complications, and are less likely to attain control of their hypertension. Hypertension is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States and among African Americans. African Americans have the highest risk for hypertension-related deaths. Among all racial/ethnic groups, African American women have the highest prevalence (45%) and lowest control of high blood pressure (59%). NHANES data examining the 2001–2010 time period also showed African Americans were more likely to have uncontrolled hypertension than white people and Hispanic people. Poor adherence to medication has been identified as a major contributor to uncontrolled hypertension among African American patients. Women are about as likely as men to develop high blood pressure during their lifetimes. However, for people younger than 45 years old, the condition affects more men...
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...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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...Heart Disease among African American Women Ciatta Jones, RN Excelsior College Abstract Heart Disease remains the number one killer among women. However, African American women have a higher rate of heart disease than any other ethnic group or demographics and subsequently have an increased mortality rate among other nationalities. They are disproportionately outnumbered when it comes to the obesity rate, stroke and diabetes amongst other groups such as the Caucasians and Asian’s. Contributing factors are decreased awareness and knowledge of heart disease, a low self perception regarding risk factors, ongoing behaviors that are not modified such as smoking, alcoholism, eating fried and salty foods and sometimes the inability to get to medical facilities and clinics. With more education about heart disease and an increased perception of risk, people’s minds will become transformed and will be motivated to modify risk factors related to heart disease. Differences in knowledge and comprehension levels are greater amid those that have a higher educational level. Continual health promotions, fairs, seminars and preventative efforts must continue for us to see positive outcomes associated with a desired behavior change. Keywords: African American, heart disease, women, risk factors, education Heart disease among African American Women The death threat of heart disease is greater than that of AIDS and breast cancer collectively. It is the number one killer of women...
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...Health Promotion Among African Americans Family-Centered Health Promotion 02/22/2015 African Americans or Blacks have been a part of our countries history for very long time now. They have been, up until the recent years, treated unequally and discriminated. Unfortunately discrimination against African Americans and Blacks are still prevalent today. Their past in our country is not something we should ignore; rather use it as a tool of understanding the African American culture. Their perception of healthcare and their willingness to seek help could be linked to the fear of social discrimination and the possibility of being treated differently if the healthcare providers are predominately white. The health disparities among African Americans today is something that cannot be ignored and is something that healthcare professionals need to take seriously. This paper will talk about the health disparities among African Americans and how we can make change to this by approaching the problem with health promotion and prevention techniques. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015, the population of African Americans is estimated to be a 45 million; which is 15.2 percent of the United States population. Around 14.7 percent of the African American populations are shown statistically to live in fair or poor health. This particular race is known to suffer from high incidences of Heart Disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, poverty and high crime...
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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 incidence...
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...Hypertension is the most common condition seen in primary care and leads to myocardial infarction, stroke, renal failure, and death if not detected early and treated appropriately (James et al., 2014). To prevent cardiovascular damage, it is recommended that persons aged 60 years or older to maintain BP goal of less than 150/90 mm Hg, if not, initiate antihypertensive regimen. Hypertension in African American is a major clinical and public health problem because of the high prevalence and premature onset of elevated blood pressure (BP) in this population (Flack, Nasser, & Levy, 2011). In this case study, Mr. CF who had been hypertensive and diabetic for the last twelve years, presented with a blood pressure reading of 162/90 despite being...
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...Hypertension Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them. Description As blood flows through arteries it pushes against the inside of the artery walls. The more pressure the blood exerts on the artery walls, the higher the blood pressure will be. The size of small arteries also affects the blood pressure. When the muscular walls of arteries are relaxed, or dilated, the pressure of the blood flowing through them is lower than when the artery walls narrow, or constrict. Blood pressure is highest when the heart beats to pump blood out into the arteries. Between beats, when the heart relaxes to refill with blood, the pressure drops to its lowest point. The blood pressure peak, when the heart pumps, is called systolic pressure. The blood pressure trough, when the heart is filling, is called diastolic pressure. When blood pressure is measured, the systolic pressure is stated first and the diastolic pressure second. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). For example, if a person's systolic pressure is 120 and diastolic pressure is 80, it is written as 120/80 mm Hg. The American Heart Association considers systolic blood pressure less than 140 and diastolic blood pressure less than 90 normal for adults. Hypertension is a significant public health problem. Since it has no symptoms, many people are unaware that they have hypertension. In the United States...
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...1. What risk factors for primary hypertension are evident from K.H.’s history and physical data? K.H. is a 67 year old African American male, his ethnicity and age are non-modifiable risk factors, which means it is circumstances that he cannot change. Unfortunately African Americans are more susceptible to hypertension and after 55 years old there is a 90% chance that Americans regardless of ethnicity will develop hypertension. According to a PowerPoint from Dr. Marian, HSC 3211 on Hypertension, the ethnicities most likely to have hypertension are as follows: African American > Puerto Rican > Hispanic American > Caucasian > Cuban American. K.H. is also overweight by 30 pounds. Obesity is a leading cause of hypertension because excess weight makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood throughout the body as efficiently as it would if K.H. was not overweight. He has already started lifestyle modifications such as a salt-restricted diet in hopes of lowering his blood pressure. Sodium causes the muscles around blood vessels to becomes stronger and thicker as a result of trying to ease the extra burden the arteries are experiencing. However, this is not a good thing because it causes the arteries to become more narrow thus raising one’s blood pressure even higher. With this evidence, it is important that K.H. stay on his salt-restricted diet if he hopes to lower his blood pressure and avoid other organ damage from excess salt. K.H. has high blood pressure at 135/96...
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...K.H. has been exposed to many risk factors associated with hypertension. Given the fact that he is of older age, K.H. is more at risk because the 1risk of high blood pressure increases as you age. High blood pressure is more common in males at his 2age. High blood pressure is particularly common among African-Americans, so the fact that K.H. is African American poses a higher risk. His heart rate is normal and the description does not indicate family history of hypertension, but it is noted that K.H is 30 pounds over his ideal weight. Persons who are overweight have a higher risk of developing hypertension. Due to the fact that K.H. has been placed on a salt restricted diet, it is safe to assume that he was consuming high amounts of sodium in his diet prior, which is a primary risk factor of hypertension. K.H.âs has a systolic pressure is 135 and the diastolic pressure is 96. This is stage 1 hypertension. The rationale for treating the patient with an ACE inhibitor is that Angiotensin II needs to be controlled because that is what ultimately is narrowing the blood vessels and causing the blood pressure to increase. An ACE inhibitor slows the production of Angiotensin II. The mechanism of action includes the modification of the production of Angiotensin II. This is a vasoconstrictor. Vasoconstriction is what leads to the elevation of B/P. Angiotensin II is made from angiotensin I through the means of the angiotensin converting enzyme. ACE inhibitors impede the activity of...
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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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...------------------------------------------------- Hypertensive emergency From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A hypertensive emergency is severe hypertension (high blood pressure) with acute impairment of an organ system (especially the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and/or the renal system) and the possibility of irreversible organ-damage. In case of a hypertensive emergency, the blood pressure should be substantially lowered over minutes to hours with an antihypertensive agent. Contents [hide] * 1 Treatment * 2 Incidence * 3 Definition * 3.1 Hypertensive emergency as a generic term * 4 Pathophysiology * 5 Mortality * 6 Clinical history * 7 References * 8 See also | ------------------------------------------------- [edit]Treatment Several classes of antihypertensive agents are recommended and the choice for the antihypertensive agent depends on the cause for the hypertensive crisis, the severity of elevated blood pressure and the patient's usual blood pressure before the hypertensive crisis. In most cases, the administration of an intravenous sodium nitroprusside injection which has an almost immediate antihypertensiveeffect is suitable but in many cases not readily available. In less urgent cases, oral agents like captopril, clonidine, labetalol, prazosin, which all have a delayed onset of action by several minutes compared to sodium nitroprusside, can also be used. It is also important that the blood pressure is lowered not too...
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...Gap in Health Disparities of African Americans Rosie Vasser Grand Canyon University Closing the Gap in Health Disparities of African Americans Historically speaking African Americans have had harder access to healthcare due to a number of socioeconomic reasons. Many are unable to even get to a facility. When thinking about poverty in America one must associate African Americans with poorer health, less access to medical care and higher risk factors than others. Stressors alone within this group places them at higher risk for hypertension, smoking, diabetes, etc. Lower income limits the availability to healthier food and quality healthcare. AA persistent struggle to achieve the American dreams translates to their persistent struggles with health. The dominate society generational connection to wealth, affords them the ability to access the best in healthcare. AA has very limited access to quality healthcare. According to Eileen M. Crimmins, Mark D. Hayward, and Teresa E. Seeman (2004), “People who are poorer and who have less education are more likely to suffer from diseases, to experience loss of functioning, to be cognitively and physically impaired, and to experience higher mortality rates” (2004), This essay will compare and contrast the health status of the African American minority group and compare to the national average. We will discuss the current health status of this minority group, how health promotion is defined by African Americans, and what health disparities...
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...three cultures and evaluate how families subscribe to these traditions and practices. Cultural competency involves more than just asking questions, but it opens up the diversity of the patient’s culture. Nurses must become aware of their own cultural biases and focus on the cultural beliefs and values of the patient by performing a heritage assessment (Edelman & Greiner, 2010). This heritage assessment will give the nurse a clearer picture of the patient’s background and in the process will improve the quality of care and patient outcome (Schimdt & Owens, 2012). I had an opportunity to perform a heritage assessment on three people from three different cultures. The three cultures that I performed a heritage assessment included: an African American, an Asian person (Vietnamese) and a Hispanic person from El Salvador. The Vietnamese person told me that she was born in the United States but her mother...
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...the incidence of illness and death among African Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Alaskan Natives and Pacific Islanders as compared with the US population as a whole." --National Center for Cultural Competence Population addressed Population addressed In 1950, U.S.-born whites made up about 90 percent of the U.S. population. By 2000, this number declined to about 75 percent, and by 2050 non-Hispanic whites will be in the numerical minority (U.S. Census Bureau 2001, 2002). This rapid diversification requires healthcare organizations to pay closer attention to cross-cultural issues if they are to meet the healthcare needs of the nation and continue to maintain a high standard of care. Looking at the Country as a whole the current area of discussion for this paper is the area of Western North Carolina and the population of Asheville, which is a melting pot of cultures which the combination they create is unique to no other. According to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau statistics for Asheville, N.C. the current demographics break down as follows: Asheville [City] Population (current estimate), 70,400. Buncombe County Population (2006), 222,174, county in Western North Carolina Asheville is located. Gender Dispersion was 46.8% Male, 53.2% Female with an average age being 39.2 years of age. Race breaks down as follows: White persons (2000), 78%, Black or African American persons(2000), 17.6%, American Indian (2000), 0.4%, Asian persons (2000)...
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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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