Cardiovascular Disease
and African Americans:
What You Should Know
espite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of
cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic illness and
death from CVD is higher among Black Americans
than among White, Hispanic and Asian Americans.
African Americans
have the greatest
chance of having
cardiovascular
disease. Some of
the common risk
factors are
Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis
hypertension,
diabetes, obesity, and smoking. This risk is excessive
given the smaller number of Blacks in Colorado.
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High Blood Pressure
Often known as the “silent killer,” hypertension, also known as high
blood pressure, affects one out of every three African Americans. If you
are over the age of 65, it
is two out of every three.
The reason for the high
incidence of high blood
pressure in African
Americans in the U.S. is
not fully known. It is
believed that high blood
pressure among African
Americans is the highest
in the world.
African Americans tend
to develop high blood pressure earlier in life than others. If ignored or
poorly managed the complications can be fatal.
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
In most cases there are no symptoms; which is why this chronic illness
is known as “the silent killer.” It destroys vital organs without you
knowing about it. In some cases of uncontrolled high blood pressure,
the symptoms may include:
■ Vision problems;
■ Headaches;
■ Chest pain;
■ Breathing problems.
3
Stroke
Strokes occur when an artery to the brain becomes clogged with fatty
deposits. The clogged part of the brain begins to starve from lack of
blood, oxygen and nutrients causing damage to brain tissue.
There are Two Types of Stroke:
An Ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot in the blood vessel in
the brain (not enough blood to the brain);
■ A Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a rupture or break of a blood
vessel in the brain (too much blood to the brain).
■
Warning Signs of a Stroke
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on
one side of the body;
■ Sudden confusion; trouble speaking or understanding;
■ Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes;
■ Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination;
■ Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
■
4
Heart Attack
How does high blood pressure affect the heart? The harder your heart
muscle has to work, the thicker your heart muscle will become. This is
called hypertrophy or hypertensive heart. This causes the heart to grow
larger than normal by
thickening the walls in
Normal Artery
the ventricles (a heart
Heart
chamber which
collects blood).
Increasing systolic
blood pressure (the top
number) increases the
risk for a heart attack.
With uncontrolled
high blood pressure
the heart pumps harder and it becomes more difficult to push blood
through smaller and often thicker blood vessels.
Plaque
Blocked
Artery
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
■
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. Most heart attacks start
slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected are not
sure what is wrong and they wait too long before getting help.
Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
Chest discomfort – Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center
of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and
comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
■ Discomfort in areas of the upper body – symptoms can include pain
or discomfort in one or both arms, and back. In some cases women
can experience pain in the neck, jaw or stomach.
■ Other signs – these may include: breaking out in a cold sweat;
nausea; light headedness.
■
5
Risk Factors
Traits or behaviors that increase your risk for heart disease and
stroke are called risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the
greater your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. Some risk
factors can be changed or treated. Others can not. Those you can
not change include increasing age, family history and race.
Risk Factors you CAN NOT change:
■
Age – The risk for heart attack and stroke increases with age.
More African-American men develop heart disease and develop
it earlier, but women narrow the gap after age 55. Older women
who have heart attacks are more likely than men to die from
them within a few weeks.
■
Family History, Race and Ethnicity – Like your
eye color, tendencies for many health conditions can be
inherited from one family member to another. As an African
American, there is a good chance that you or a relative has
high blood pressure.
“Knowing your family
health history and taking
action is critically
important to managing
the risks of heart disease.”
Dr. Russell Simpson
6
Risk Factors you CAN change:
■
Smoking – If you smoke, STOP! Smoking raises the
blood pressure, making the heart work harder to maintain
blood flow.
■
High Cholesterol – Know your numbers to know your risk.
A simple blood test can show if your blood cholesterol level is
desirable, borderline-high, or high.
■
High Blood Pressure – You can better manage your high
blood pressure through diet, physical activity and taking
medications as prescribed.
■
Physical Inactivity – Physical activity helps maintain
normal blood pressure, but few people get the amount of
exercise they should to stay healthy.
■
Being Overweight – As your body weight increases, your
blood pressure can rise. In fact, being over weight can make you
two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure than if
you are at your desirable weight.
“Sometimes the risk factors
we CAN change are
challenging. That’s why
it is important to develop
strategies for better lifestyle
behaviors like making wise
food choices, consistent
physical activity and
managing stress.”
Dr. Terri Richardson
7
Make Wise Food Choices
Eat less fat such as saturated fat, trans-fat and foods
high in cholesterol: Remember, food does not have to be high in
fat to taste good. Avoid the following foods:
■ Fast foods;
■ Store bought baked goods like cookies, cakes and chips;
■ Processed foods like packaged meats and snacks;
■ Margarine and shortening.
Choose the kinds of fat that can help lower your
cholesterol:
■ Use a low-fat or fat-free method when cooking;
■ Cook with less salt;
■ Choose low-fat dairy products.
Choose foods with less
fat like:
■ Avocado;
■ Nuts – almonds, cashews,
and peanuts;
■ Salmon;
■ Albacore tuna.
Choose lean cuts of:
■ Beef;
■ Pork;
■ Skinless poultry;
■ Fish.
Other tips:
■ Read food nutrition labels
carefully;
■ Practice eating
recommended serving size;
■ Eat more foods that are
high in fiber;
■ Limit your alcohol
consumption.
8
Consistent Physical Activity
More than 50% of American adults do not
get enough physical activity to provide
health benefits. Physical activity promotes
health, improves wellness, and reduces the
risk of coronary heart disease. It also
decreases the risk of stroke and high blood
pressure. You can also lessen CVD by
increasing your physical activity.
Ideas for physical activities
include:
Walking
■ Weight Training
■ Swimming
■ Golfing
■
Bicycling
Jogging
■ Dancing
■ Aerobics
■
■
Managing Stress
Stress can cause you to have sustained elevated blood pressure and
over time may contribute to chronic high blood pressure that requires
medical treatment. Stress management is essential if you are going to
reduce your risk of CVD.
Tips for managing stress include:
Be realistic do not take on more than you can handle;
Shed the “superman/superwoman” urge. Ask for help when you
need it;
■ Share your feelings. Talk about your feelings and do not try to
cope alone.
■
■
9
Taking Control
Now that you have learned more about
cardiovascular disease, the next step is to take
action! Check off these items as you do them.
Know your family health history and share it with
other family members.
Get screened. Know your numbers and what they
mean.
Discuss screening results and your family history
with your healthcare provider.
Ask questions if you do not understand.
If you smoke, stop!
Make wise food choices.
Engage in consistent physical activity.
Take your medication(s) as prescribed.
Learn the warning signs of heart attack and stroke
in case of emergency.
10
Resources and References
Black American Men’s Health: Statistics show black men worse off.
Available at: http://menshealth.about.com/od/blackhealth/
a/Af_amer_stats.htm. June 14, 2007.
WebMD: How to prevent high blood pressure. Available at: http://
www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/
how-prevent-high-blood-pressure? June 15, 2007.
American Heart association: learn to live. Men and Cardiovascular
Diseases – Statistics. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/
presenter.jhtml?identifier=3000935. June 15. 2007
American Heart Association: (2001). High Blood Pressure in African
Americans. (Brochure) American Heart Association: Author.
American Stroke Association: (2000, 2002). Understanding Stroke.
Our guide explaining stroke and how to reduce your risk (Brochure).
American Heart Association: Author.
American Diabetes Association: (2006). Choose to Live a Heart to
Heart Discussion.Workshop overview (Brochure) American Diabetes :
Association Author.
About Hypertension: Health Issues Associated with Hypertension.
Available at: http://www.abouthypertension.info/articles/
what-is-hypertension/health-issues-of-hypertension.php. June 15, 2007
Familypracticenotebook.com: Grading Scale for Alcohol Use. Available at:
http://www.fpnotebook.com/PSY94.htm. June15,2007
American Stroke Association: (2005) Power to End Stroke. The Power
is in Your Hands (Brochure). American Stroke Association: Author.
11
Mission
The Center for African American Health is
committed to improving the health and well
being of the African-American community.
3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Denver, CO 80205
303-355-3423
303-355-1807 Fax
Please e-mail us at: [email protected]
Please visit us at: www.caahealth.org
This program is sponsored by the Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease and Pulmonary Disease
Grants Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.