During American Heart Month, the Center for African-American Health joins with the health community in a special effort to raise awareness about heart disease, the number one cause of death for everyone in the United States, but African Americans are especially at high risk.
The Facts About Heart Disease and African Americans:
- Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of blacks.
- Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of over 104,000 blacks each year.
- These diseases account for 33% of all deaths among African Americans in the United States.
Risk Factors
Traits and behaviors that increase your chances for heart disease are called risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, many African Americans don't know their risk for heart disease and stroke. There are two categories of risk factors: those you can't change, and those you can.
Risk factors you can't change include being African American. We have more severe high blood pressure than whites and a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. This is partly because we have higher rates of obesity and diabetes.
The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk. This means it's important to control every risk factor you can. The risk factors for heart attack and stroke that you can change are:
- Cigarette smoking
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Physical inactivity
- Obesity and overweight
- Diabetes
You have the power within yourself to take control of your situation and avoid, reduce or eliminate whatever risks you may have. That's why the Center for African-American Health offers a variety of activities year-round to encourage African-Americans to take control of the risk factors that put your heart at risk. Learn more.
