Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular Disease in the African American Community

Causes, Preventions, and Treatments

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to the dysfunctional conditions of the heart, arteries, and veins that supply oxygen to vital life- sustaining areas of the body like the brain, the heart itself and other vital organs. Since the term cardiovascular disease refers to any dysfunction of the cardiovascular system there are many different diseases in the cardiovascular category, and many of these diseases are strongly intertwined. Ischemic Heart Disease is the medical idiom for the obstruction of blood flow to the heart. It is usually due largely in part to excess fat or plaque deposits that narrow the veins that provide oxygenated blood to the heart. This excess fat buildup and plaque are respectively known as arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. Hypertension is frequently a result of both arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis, and can lead to more serious CVDs, such as angina attack (an acute and squeezing chest pain due to inefficient blood flow to the heart), and myocardial infarction( the sudden death of part of the heart muscle). A stroke is a CVD that occurs when there is in inadequate oxygen flow to the brain. An abnormally high or abnormally low heart rate because of the disruption of the natural electric impulses of the heart is called cardiac arrhythmia. Carditis and endocarditis, the infection and inflammation of the heart, can occur as a result of a weak immune system, liver problems, heart surgery, or an autoimmune disorder.

A number of health –related behaviors contribute remarkably to the onset cardiovascular disease. Smokers are two times as likely to have a heart attack as non-smokers, and one fifth of the annual 1,000,000 deaths from CVD can be attributed to smoking. A sedentary lifestyle increases one’s risk of heart disease. However, America remains predominantly sedentary, and more than half of American adults do not practice the recommended level of physical activity, while more than one-fourth are completely sedentary Between 20-30%, approximately 58 million people, of the nation’s adults are obese. Obesity severely increases risk for hypertension, high cholesterol, and other chronic diseases which have been proven to cause heart disease. As one can clearly see cardiovascular disease is a very broad topic encom...

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...as become increasingly necessary to obtain a second and even a third opinion because surgery is expensive, and physically invasive and traumatic for the heart patient.

Cardiovascular disease is an epidemic that is afflicting this great nation. It makes up 42% of all deaths, and CVD, principally coronary artery disease and stroke, is the nation’s leading killer for both men and women among all racial and ethnic groups. However, CVD affects one part of the population in an incredibly serious manner. This section is the African American community, and among blacks age 20 and over, 40.5% of men and 39.6% of women are affected by CVD. General practitioners need to focus on the causal biologic and social factors, such as background, heritage, and diet that add to the disparity in the prevalence of CVD in the black community. As well as, efforts to boost consciousness about the associations between lifestyle choices and cardiovascular outcomes must be strengthened and expanded. This multi-tiered approach is the only way to combat this killer, and salvage the lives our the African American people.