By Jacquinette D. Murphy
The population demographics of the country show people are living longer. However, the increase in chronic health problems and illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and gouty arthritis makes it difficult to assert Americans are living a healthier life. National and statewide studies still find African Americans at the highest risk of all ethnic groups for developing life-crippling health problems.
Claire Kinzy, communications director for the American Heart Association (AHA), offered advice to the African-American community.
“Being at particularly high risk for developing one or more forms of cardiovascular disease, it is more important than ever to be proactive and arm all communities with the tools, knowledge and resources to make the best choices possible which ultimately reduce risk,” she said.
The AHA reported nearly 2,400 Americans die of cardiovascular disease every day. It is still the most frequent cause of death in adults 20 and older, and it manifests in many forms such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, and vascular and rheumatic heart diseases. Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease. It usually leads to heart attacks when the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart become blocked or completely constricted. The obstruction must be immediately removed to avoid permanent damage to the heart muscles.
Approximately every 20 seconds a heart attack occurs in the United States of America, and each year about 785,000 Americans suffer their first heart attack. Major risk factors for developing heart disease and heart attacks include the presence of high blood pressure (hypertension), high blood-cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and even a family history of heart problems. Age, gender and high stress levels are also factors that should be considered when determining the risk of developing heart disease. It is vital you check your heart’s health because heart attacks can occur with little to no warning. Diligently guarding your heart saves lives. While diabetes is a leading risk factor for heart disease, it is also the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., according to a 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. About 25.8 million people (or 8.3 percent of the total U.S. population) and almost 3.7 million, or 14.7 percent of all African Americans age 20 years or older have diabetes according to estimates by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). It is the fourth leading cause of death in the African-Americans and Latino populations. In 2010, more than an estimated 460,700 African Americans living in Texas have diabetes according to the Institute for Alternative Futures.
Diabetes generally includes two groups: Type-1 and Type-2. The first is most commonly found among children and adolescents less than 18 years of age, according to the Texas Diabetes Council report. Ninety to 95 percent of cases in Texas are attributed to Type-2 diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes for adults in 2009.
Type-2 diabetes begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which the cells do not use insulin properly. As the need for insulin increases, the pancreas gradually loses the ability to produce insulin. Symptoms include frequent urination, skin, gum or bladder infections, excessive and unquenchable thirst, slow-healing cuts or bruises, weakness, extreme fatigue and irritability, weight loss, and numbness in extremities. A few of long-term complications include blurred vision and blindness, kidney and cardiovascular disease, stroke, nerve damage, amputations, and complications during pregnancy.
In addition, diabetes is a costly disease to manage. African-Americans paid about $4 billion in diabetes care and management in 2010. This includes medical expenses and wages for loss of productivity.
The population groups at risk for developing diabetes include African Americans, which reportedly are 77 percent more likely to become diabetic than persons of other ethnicity. Meanwhile, the Latino population is 66 percent more at risk. Other at-risk demographic groups include smokers, the elderly, persons who are overweight, physically inactive, have a family history of diabetes or have experienced gestational diabetes.
People with diabetes and heart disease also sometimes experience gouty arthritis (gout), another chronic illness that affects approximately 2.1 million people in the United States each year according to the Arthritis Foundation.
It is a painful condition caused by the build up of uric acid crystals (usually deposited into the kidneys for release through urine) in one or more joints that lead to joint pain, swelling, purpleness, or redness around the affected area (usually the big toe).
Gout is reportedly more common in men than women. It usually peaks between the ages of 40 and 50. African-American men are twice as likely to develop gout as Caucasian American men. People with gout often have another health issue such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. Complications of chronic gouty arthritis include regular joint pain, possible joint damage, and loss of motion.
Are the beginning of these health issues and chronic diseases preventable and manageable? Or should they be considered a part of the public’s journey of longevity?
Kinzy said prevention is the key.
“While genetics predisposes many to the potential for heart disease and stroke, the truth is – up to 80 percent of all cardiovascular diseases are largely preventable. What that means is we, each and every person, has the potential to live a life free from cardiovascular diseases. It is all about choices – choosing to be physically active, choosing not to smoke, and choosing to eat a healthy, well balanced diet.”
According to the AHA, cessation of tobacco can reduce the risk of stroke and death by more than 50 percent. Heart disease and the onset of Type-2 diabetes can be prevented or managed by keeping your blood sugar and insulin production, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in check. Furthermore, lifestyle change of instituting a low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet; an approved exercise regimen; and practicing weight control management are beneficial. Gout can be treated, and the attacks can be prevented by the use of medication, which reduces the amount uric acid in the body and simple changes in diet.
If unsure of your risk, please schedule a visit to your doctor. Also, you may want to participate in a volunteer or paid clinical research trial or a field study offered at a local medical research centers such as the North Texas Center for Medical Research Center. This center offers clinical trials to assess risk for common illness. The trials also check the use of medications to control or possible preventative measure for current and future illnesses.
If interested in participating in a study, call 214-317-8322 or email info@ntmresearch.net.
