Heart Stopping Statistics on Heart Disease Among African American and Hispanic Women

Many women assume that heart disease affects only older women, but that is not true according to the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women Campaign.” Heart disease can affect women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, and often with more lethal results because many women ignore the signs of a heart attack or stroke.

Here are some heart stopping statistics:

• Women age 45 and younger are more likely than men to die within a year of their first heart attack.
• Only 65 percent of women said the first thing they would do if they thought they were having a heart attack was to call 9-1-1
• Men are 2 to 3 times more likely than women to receive an implantable defibrillator for the prevention of sudden cardiac death.

Hispanic and African American women have an even higher risk according to these American Heart Association  statistics:

 Hispanic women

• Hispanic women are likely to develop heart disease 10 years earlier than Caucasian women.
• Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death for Hispanic women, killing nearly 21,000 annually.
• Only 34% of Hispanic women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.
• Hispanic women are least likely to have a usual source of health medical care and only 1 in 8 say that their doctor has ever discussed their risk for heart disease.

African American women

• Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death for African-American women, killing over 48,000 annually.
• Only 36% of African American women  know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.
• Of African-American women ages 20 and older, 48.3% have cardiovascular disease. Yet, only 14% believe that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health problem.
• Only about 50% of African-American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women and stroke the #4. One in 3 women die of cardiac arrest. That’s one woman every minute. Yet, 80% of heart disease can be managed or reduced through education and healthy lifestyle changes.

Here are seven steps recommended by the American Heart Association:

• Don’t Smoke
• Manage your blood sugar
• Get your blood pressure under control
• Lower your cholesterol
• Know your family history
• Stay active
• Lose weight
• Eat healthy

Monday, February 15, 4pm EST, on Fearless Fabulous You! on W4WN Cardiologist Jennifer Haythe, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, will discuss heart disease among women of all ages and what you can do to understand and reduce your risk. All of my show podcasts can be heard any time, anywhere on iHeart.com and the free iHeart app (Click Shows & Personalities and log into Fearless Fabulous You!). Here is the cut and paste link: http://www.iheart.com/show/209-Fearless-Fabulous-You/ 

 

On February 14, 2016   /   Fearless Fabulous You Radio Show, Women's Health