Topic: Heart Health
Vitamin D Deficiency is Associated with Stroke Risk in African Americans
Recent studies have found a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and stroke risk as well as stroke severity. A study just published found that people with the highest vitamin D levels had fewer strokes and if they had a stroke,…
Diabetes Differences in African Americans
There has been some startling discoveries lately in the differences in how diabetes is diagnosed and treated in African Americans. Because of genetic nuances that we normally may ignore as insignificant, hundreds of thousands of African Americans remain under-diagnosed and…
More Sleep Apnea in African Americans
Sleep Apnea is more common in African Americans A recent study confirmed there is more sleep apnea in African Americans than in Whites. Sleep apnea (also call Obstructive Sleep Apnea / "OSA") is a condition where people repeatedly stop breathing…
Smoking and Diabetes: A Hidden Risk for African Americans
African American smokers have a higher risk for diabetes In the Jackson Heart Study, one of the largest long-term studies of Black adults in America, researchers followed nearly 3,000 African Americans without diabetes for about eight years. Those who smoked…
Salt Sensitivity and Your Health
Salt Sensitivity and Your Health Salt sensitivity is defined as significant changes in blood pressure in response to salt in a diet. 75 percent of all African American patients with high blood pressure are salt sensitive compared to 50 percent…
Are Statins Bad for You? What African Americans Need to Know
Many of my patients have high cholesterol and are on cholesterol lowering medicines called statins like Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), and Crestor (rosuvastatin). Occasionally they will come in saying some well-meaning friend told them that "cholesterol medicine is bad for…
Blood Pressure Medicine for African Americans: What Works Best
High blood pressure in African Americans When it comes to treating high blood pressure in African Americans, there are important differences. For reasons that are not entirely clear, many African American patients respond differently than white patients depending on the…
Strokes in African Americans
Strokes in African Americans Most strokes in African Americans occur due to high blood pressure and a much higher number of African Americans have uncontrolled blood pressure. A quarter of all strokes occur in the presence of atrial fibrillation (a fib)…
Heart Failure in African Americans
Heart failure in African-Americans occurs more often and is more deadly. African Americans have a significantly higher risk and earlier onset of heart failure and heart-related death compared to all other populations in the United States. In fact, African Americans are two…
Atrial Fibrillation in African Americans
Atrial fibrillation in African Americans, also called "A Fib", effects one in nine before the age of 80 and is the most prevalent arrhythmia in the US and is associated with significant bad outcomes that include stroke, heart failure, and increased…
