Black women and heart health risks

As we enter the final days of February, American Heart Health month, I’m sure you’ve been hearing how much heart disease affects Americans as a whole, and although its notoriously associated with middle-aged men, I find myself often reminding my patients that heart disease is also the number one health enemy for women, especially Black women.

When it comes to women of color and heart disease, the stats are astounding:

• Stroke is the leading cause of death among Black women.

• Among Black women ages 20 and older, 59% have cardiovascular disease.

• Among Black women age 20 and older, 58% have high blood pressure and of those, only 20% have their blood pressure under control.

Among young and middle-aged black women, the disparities are glaring. Compared to white women, black women exhibit more risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), develop CVD earlier, and are more likely to die from CVD. And despite the overall decline in mortality rates from CVD over the last few years, black women 35-54 years of age are not experiencing the same rate of decline.

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease

If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity, you are at risk. Even if you developed gestational diabetes or had high blood pressure only during pregnancy, you’re at risk.

Genetics plays a role. If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, you are at higher risk. Research suggests that a gene carried by African Americans can make the body more sensitive to salt, thereby increasing the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Here’s another nuance to keep in mind about family history: Having a positive family history for cardiovascular problems doesn’t simply mean you’ll have heart problems. There are lifestyle habits you may have picked up from your parents or other family members that may put you at risk.

Lifestyle behaviors play a role as well. If you smoke or physically inactive, that also put you at risk. Other lifestyle factors to consider are chronic stress, poor sleep, and an unhealthy diet.

What can you do now to decrease your risk?

The best thing for a woman to do is to have an established primary care physician who understands the needs of women’s hearts, their individual risk factors. Plus, having a primary care physician who is big on preventative strategies is a huge asset to your care. Other things you can do today are:

• Get screened for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

• Educate yourself. Many young women don’t realize they’re at risk or symptoms associated with CVD. Symptoms are often confused with stress, the flu, or fatigue causing women to fail to seek timely treatment.

• Eat a diet that is low in salt. Eat vegetables, fruit, and wholesome foods. The Mediterranean diet is a choice model to go by.

• Avoid tobacco products. If you smoke, try to quit smoking. If you don’t smoke, great, don’t start.

• Manage your stress. Experiment with healthy modalities to cope with stress.

• Improve your sleep.

• Get your body moving. Exercise is key.

As a a primary care physician, Dr. Valerie Pershad, has significant experience in a wide array of acute and chronic medical conditions, including working as a hospitalist during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has now shifted her focus to include a preventative and restorative approach to her patients’ care.

Dr. Pershad is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Functional Medicine. She completed medical school at the George Washington University in Washington, DC and completed residency in internal medicine at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. She is an internal medicine physician, and she also practices functional medicine, an area of medicine that focuses specifically on how and why disease occurs for each individual and allows for a personalized treatment plan.