CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Health promotion for the African American women and cardiovascular disease

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze Health promotion for the African American women and cardiovascular disease. The early 1990s, death rates from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) peaked in the United States; 499 of every 100,000 people died in 1993 from CVD, the leading cause of death for women and men across all racial/ethnic groups. The first major response to the CVD epidemic was initiated in the 1980s and was based on a medical model approach that focused on the identification and treatment of high-risk and moderate-risk patients.

Health promotion for the African American women and cardiovascular disease

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease is a general umbrella term that refers to a group of disorders involving the heart and blood circulation systems, such as hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, and coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease refers to the narrowing or blockage of one or more coronary arteries by a gradual buildup of cholesterol within the artery wall (atherosclerosis), which reduces blood flow to the heart muscle. Coronary heart diseases include myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. Over 64 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease; coronary heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for more than 40% of all deaths. Cardiovascular diseases also lead to high levels of premature and permanent disability.(Frasure, 2008)

Cardiovascular disease encompasses a broad range of specific disorders, and symptom presentations vary widely across these disorders. Among the most common cardiovascular diseases, some can be asymptomatic (e.g., hypertension) while others can cause acute pain and disability (e.g., angina pectoris, myocardial infarction). Symptoms of cardiovascular disease can include chest pain or radiating pain on the left side of the body and nausea (coronary heart disease), weakness or paralysis on one side of the body (stroke), and painful breathing, fluid retention, and fatigue (congestive heart failure).(Strike, 2007)

Facts

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among African American, Hispanic, and Native American women.  Among African American women, heart disease is the second leading cause of death.

African American women are at a greater risk of dying from heart disease compared with women of other major racial and ethnic groups due to limited access to healthcare, inadequate medical care delayed diagnosis.

African American women are 30% more likely to die of heart attack and 78% more likely to die of a stroke than white women.

Several factors increase the probability of developing cardiovascular disease including hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity (overweight), high cholesterol, and smoking.

31% of African American women have high blood pressure.

Nearly 70% of Blacks between ages 20-74 are overweight.  Specifically, more than half of all Black women are overweight. (Frasure, 2008)

46% of African American women have high cholesterol.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include demographic factors, biological factors, and psychosocial factors.

Demographic Factors

Although cardiovascular disease occurs across the life span, the prevalence of most cardiovascular diseases increases with age. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is slightly higher in women than in ...