TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — Heart health disparities persist among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black Americans face a 30% higher chance of death from heart disease compared to non-white Hispanics.
Additionally, Black women are nearly 50% more likely to experience high blood pressure than their white counterparts.
Medical professionals, including Dr. J. Peter Weiss and Dr. I-Hui Ann Chiang from Banner – University Medical Center, underscore the multifaceted nature of these disparities.
Genetic factors, such as hypertension, and economic considerations, like limited access to healthcare, contribute to worsening outcomes. Dr. Weiss emphasizes the importance of consistent interaction with healthcare providers and proactive efforts to improve various aspects of healthcare.
Dr. Chiang identifies three key elements influencing Black American heart health: genetic predisposition, lifestyle choices, and socioeconomic factors.
Dr. Peter Weiss sits down with News 4 Tucson for an interview on heart health in the Black community.
“One example of these elements is higher rates of uncontrolled hypertension in the Black community,” said Dr. Chiang. “High blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular issues. There are both social and genetic components to hypertension – lifestyle and socioeconomic factors are intimately intertwined. People in lower socioeconomic strata have worse outcomes in most disease processes and cardiovascular issues are no different.”
“It’s one thing to say that we want to have good blood pressure, or good cholesterol or good blood pressure but those are just numbers,” said Dr. Weiss. “What we really want to do is reduce bad events. We want to stop people from dying, we want to stop people from having heart attacks and heart failure and stop people from having strokes.”
In terms of prevention, Dr. Chiang recommends that patients become an expert on their own health.
“I encourage my patients to learn about their health issues, what causes them, the expected progression, prevention, treatment options,” said Dr. Chiang. “I also encourage patients to always advocate for themselves by asking these exact questions to their health care providers. Always obtain second opinions if your current health care provider does not answer your questions to your satisfaction or comfort.”