Heart Health: A Crisis in the African American Community

During Heart Health Month, Dr. Lindsey Beauboeuf, a doctor who specializes in family medicine, reminds us that heart disease is progressive, which presents an opportunity for people to decrease or even resolve the damage done to our cardiovascular system, when it is caught early. 

“There is however a point of no return where advanced medical and surgical interventions are necessary to treat or prevent heart attacks and strokes,” said Dr. Beauboeuf.

A Snapshot of Heart Disease in the African American Community

Dr. Beauboeuf pointed out that because of the disproportionate prevalence of the heart disease risk factors among non-Hispanic Black adults such as hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, they are predominantly affected by heart disease.

 “According to the American Heart Association, ‘nearly 60% of Black adults have some type of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and hypertension; that’s compared to about 49% of all U.S. adults who have some type of CVD.’ Furthermore, among the Black community, Black women have a higher prevalence of hypertension (58.4%) relative to Black men (57.5%), compared to 50.4% of all men and 43% of all women in the US. It’s important to note that aside from genetic reasons, social determinants of health, such as lack of health insurance, economic instability, food deserts, lack of walkable green spaces, also play a huge role in this disparity.” 

Last year, the American Heart Association publicized these findings along with initiatives to close the health gap https://newsroom.heart.org/news/cardiovascular-health-risks-continue-to-grow-within-black-communities-action-needed.

Heart Disease’s Link to Health Conditions

Dr. Beauboeuf stated that high blood pressure impacts heart health by putting strain on the pumping mechanism of the heart. Additionally, cardiovascular health is impacted by many chronic conditions, but it is most helpful to focus on those we can control or treat independently, such as hypertension; diabetes; high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia); poor diet; poor sleep; tobacco or alcohol abuse; drug abuse; stress; inactivity; and obesity. However, some non-controllable conditions also contribute to heart disease, such as family history, or race. It is interesting to note that in women, research has also linked heart disease to early-onset menopause or a history of preeclampsia or hypertension during pregnancy.

Heart Disease Symptoms

“The most commonly known symptoms of heart disease are chest pain, chest heaviness, shortness of breath, decreased tolerance of physical activities, or even the need to sleep with your head resting higher on more pillows, also known as orthopnea,” Dr. Beauboeuf explained.

She further explained that sometimes people, especially women, complain of more subtle symptoms which can be easily overlooked.

“When we start to notice swelling of our legs, or the difficulty of breathing like a sensation of constantly drowning from the fluid backing up and building up in our tissues, there is likely a severe problem,” Dr. Beauboeuf added.

Lifestyle Optimization

Dr. Beauboeuf tries to assess the most modifiable areas in her patients’ personal routines, activities, and nutrition. 

“Taking a comprehensive lifestyle optimization approach is what I’ve seen be most successful in improving cardiovascular health. That starts with knowing your baseline and your family history, because without data, we do not know what we’re working with and what we need to improve. Taking a comprehensive lifestyle optimization approach to improve heart health,” she stated.

Dr. Beauboeuf recommended making sure this particular goal is SMART— Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. 

“This further emphasizes the need to have regular blood work and visits with a primary care physician. She added that the most successful patients have these goals in mind as they make their daily health decisions such as the decision to go on a daily walk, staying hydrated, eating to maintain a healthy weight, abstaining from alcohol or recreational drugs, reducing salt intake, choosing baked over fried foods, and decreasing red meat intake. 

Heart Health in the African Community Remains a Serious Crisis.

“We are seeing a critical prevalence of heart disease risk factors in African-Americans relative to every other group in the United States, but also relative to the rest of the world. This is even more severe in Black women,” said Dr. Dr. Beauboeuf.

Since heart health is influenced by a mix of systemic factors and personal circumstances, focus on the basics to make improving heart health less overwhelming. Make a SMART plan of action with specific, measurable, attainable and realistic goals, according to your circumstances. 

“One small sustainable change is better than nothing at all,” Dr. Dr. Beauboeuf advised.

Visit www.yourmozaik.care to learn more about Dr. Lindsey Beauboeuf.