February is Black History month and unfortunately heart disease in Black Americans is part of their history. Here’s the reality in numbers:

African American women in the age range of 25-44 have a 2.5 times greater risk of coronary heart disease and African American men have a 1.5 times greater risk than the Caucasian community.

And when you look at the contributing factors it’s even worse:

High Blood Pressure – 1 out of every 3 African Americans suffers from high blood pressure. The American Heart Association estimates that 28% of African American adults and more than two-thirds of African Americans over the age of 60 have high blood pressure.

Diabetes – The African American community has a two-fold higher rate for diabetes than the Caucasian community. Most diabetes-related deaths are due to cardiovascular disease.

High Cholesterol Levels – High blood cholesterol is a large risk factor for heart disease. Unfortunately 50% of African American men and 54% of women have too much cholesterol circulating in the blood stream.

And when you add in other factors like overweight and obesity, heart disease in Black Americans is historically higher than in any other ethnic community.

So the question is why? Read More →