Being Black And Living With A Heart With Problems

“One in nine deaths in 2009 included heart failure as a contributing cause. About half of the people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis” (Heart Failure Fact Sheet). “Researchers have proven that African-Americans are at an increased risk of congestive heart failure. This is due to diabetes and high blood pressure, rather than race alone”. “There is no cure for heart failure. Treatments are used to relieve symptoms of CHF and try to prevent any further damage. The exact plan to help the patient depends on the stage and the type of heart failure the patient has”

Congestive heart failure is an older name for heart failure. Congestive heart failure takes place when the heart is unable to maintain an adequate circulation of blood in the bodily tissues or to pump out the venous blood returned to it by the veins (Merriam-Webster). The heart is split into two distinct pumping structures, the right side of the heart and the left side of the heart. Appropriate cardiac performance involves each ventricle to extract even quantities of blood over intervals. If the volume of blood reimbursed to the heart develops more than both ventricles can manage, the heart can no longer be an efficient pump.

Keywords: socioeconomic status (SES), cardiovascular disease (CVD), African American, risk factors, social determinants, and health disparities, institutionalized racism.

Bibbins-Domingo et al. (2009) conducted an empirical examination into rates of heart failure among young adults. The article outlines the unfortunate fact that there is little empirical knowledge regarding the rates of heart failure within the young adult populations. This knowledge is even worse when it comes to examining minority populations, especially within the African American community that is increasingly vulnerable to heart conditions. With heart failure and other cardio conditions being such a prevalent problem in the United States, it is imperative that current discourse understand it much more than we do now. Thus, the purpose of this study was to better document and analyzes the incidences of heart failure in young adults, as to better describe any patterns or correlations within the group that would help provide better information. The overall hypothesis of the study was that African American populations were more likely to be vulnerable at this younger stage than their white counterparts. To meet this purpose, the study implemented an empirical study that examined heart failures of 5115 African American and white young adults, ages 18-30, over a period of 20 years. Results clearly showed that African American youth were at a much higher rate of early heart failure, as the study showed that out of the participants 27 had heart failure and 26 of those individuals were African American. This lead the study to

Congestive Heart Failure is when the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. It does not mean the heart has stopped working. The blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. This means; the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body's needs. The chambers of the heart respond by stretching to hold more blood to pump through the body or by becoming more stiff and thickened. This only keeps the blood moving for a short while. The heart muscle walls weaken and are unable to pump as strongly. This makes the kidneys respond by causing the body to retain fluid and sodium. When the body builds up with fluids, it becomes congested. Many conditions can cause heart

Cardiovascular disease, mainly coronary heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. A disproportionate number of people in minority and low-income populations die or become disabled from cardiovascular disease. The death rate for coronary heart disease for the nation decreased by 20% from 1987 to 1995, but for blacks, the overall decrease was only 13 percent. The coronary heart disease mortality rate for Asian Americans was 40% lower than whites, but 40% higher for blacks in 1995. High blood pressure and hypertension can increase the risk for coronary heart disease, and it has been shown that racial minorities have higher rates of hypertension, tend to develop hypertension at an earlier age, and are less likely to receive treatment for high blood pressure. Also, only 50% of American Indians, 44% of Asian

According to the office of the minority health, approximately 48% of African American women and 44% of African American men suffer from some form of the cardiovascular disease which includes heart disease and stroke and adults are 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure while the women are 1.6 times more likely to die from heart diseases and complications than other ethnic groups (The Office of Minority Health, 2016).

Hypertension (HTN), also referred to as high blood pressure, is a condition characterized by elevated systemic arterial blood pressure. An elevated blood pressure is considered to be a systolic pressure of at least 140 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or a diastolic pressure of at least 90 mmHg. HTN is among the most common risk factors for heart disease among African Americans (Ferdinanc, 2006) and one of the leading causes of deaths in the United States. Spencer et.al., (2011) states that it is one of the leading indicators that contribute to heart disease, the leading cause of death in Baltimore City. Sickness and death from heart disease are much more likely to strike African Americans than Whites in Baltimore (DHMH, 2005). Spencer continues that in Baltimore City hospitalization percentage for 100,000 populations under 75 years old was 136.6 for Blacks and 15 for Whites.

There are several race traits and risk factors from African-American such as Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Diabetes, and Pneumonia/Influenza. Also they have those risk factors due to cultural difference diet and exercise such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, end stage renal disease, dementia, diabetes, and certain cancers. Especially, diabetes has more frequency reason of death among Black elders than in other ethnic people except American Indians (Health and Health Care of African American , n.d). In addition, according to the Health and Health Care of African American (n.d.), the death rate for all cancers is 30% higher for African Americans than for Whites, e (Health and Health Care of African American, n.d).

The impact of diabetes on African Americans is disproportionate. An estimated four million of African Americans with the age of twenty and above are diabetic. They are more prone to have diabetes as compared to non-Hispanic whites. Once an African American reaches the age of 65,

Although there are a few “race related” diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, the illnesses that are killing the minority population are environment related, like Coronary Heart Disease. In a study done by Alan Goodman, he cites four important points about race and genetics:

Heart disease can then lead to heart attack and/or stroke and later, potentially, death. The prevalence of these risk factors in minority populations can be attributed to a multitude of social determinants including but not limited to income, education, access to care, and genetics/physiology. Plaque build up in arteries leads to the most common cause of cardiovascular disease, and this is influenced by diet, exercise, smoking, and weight.

Traditionally, the African American diet consisted of leafy green vegetables, fish, poultry, and beans. However, the cooking methods, such as deep frying, the heavy use of gravy, pork fat, and butter add a large amount fat and cholesterol to an otherwise heart-healthy diet. “Soul food” with its fried chicken, fried pork chops, and corn bread have become the traditional comfort food, and there is a large significant placed in the African-American culture on community and family gatherings centered around food. Historically, African-Americans lived a highly active lifestyle that compensated for a higher than average fat content in their diet. As modern trends swing toward a more sedentary lifestyle, the direct result is heart disease rising to be the leading cause of death among African-Americans (Cowling, 2006, p8).

hough freed from slavery over a century ago, African Americans and other minority groups are still enslaved by America’s rigid race classifications and assumptions. It is a fact that White Americans are significantly more healthy than African Americans, Asian American, Hispanics, and other minorities (HHS). For example, hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney failure, is 12.2% higher among African American men than white men, and 16% more for African American Women (“Health”). This health gap has resulted in debates on whether these disparities are due to genetics or social factors, and whether or not race should be a factor in health care treatments. According the American Anthropology Association,

African American women are dying at a much higher rate in preventable health issues like HIV/AIDS, diabetes and heart disease. In February 2005, the Black AIDS Institute found that black women accounted for 72 percent of new HIV/AIDS cases in women in Los Angeles alone. Black women are also 25 times higher to get HIV/AIDS which is mostly due to inadequate health screenings.