african american preventive disease
* Cancer: African Americans are more likely to develop and die from cancer than any other racial or ethnic group. African American men are 50% more likely than Whites to have prostate cancer and are more likely than any other racial group to suffer from colorectal cancer. 1 Hepatitis C —More prevalent in the African American population and can lead to chronic liver disease and liver cancer which is a killer. 2  The danger is that an infected person may not have symptoms and, frequently, liver protein tests are normal. 1 Cardiovascular Disease —The #1 killer of African Americans. 2  Diabetes —3.2 million African Americans have diabetes, yet more than 33% do not know it. 3  Vitamin D Deficiency —Low Vitamin D has been associated with several types of cancer as well as certain autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus. One of the most glaring disparities is apparent in the African American community, where 48% of adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39% of the general population. * Obesity: Obesity is debilitating and is often a catalyst to chronic disease. 1 Vitamin D Deficiency —Low Vitamin D has been associated with several types of cancer as well as certain autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus. 2  HIV/AIDS —Nearly half of the people who get HIV/AIDS are African American, suffering more deaths than any other race. High blood pressure, obesity and diabetes are the most common conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Here’s how they affect African-Americans and some tips to lower your risk. High Blood Pressure The prevalence of high blood pressure in African-Americans is the highest in the world. Lowering health insurance costs increases availability to care and can help reduce chronic illnesses over the long term. African Americans and Disease (from HHS report): * Higher Rates of Disease: Racial and ethnic minorities have high rates of debilitating disease such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and AIDS. * African Americans suffer from higher percentages of chronic diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes which are perpetuated by a lack of access to quality care. Currently, 48% of African American adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39% of the general population. However more than a quarter of African Americans do not have a regular doctor, compared with only one-fifth of Whites. * Communication with a Health Care Provider: Poor communication with health care providers results in a host of problems including less access to preventive care and higher rates of re-hospitalization. Updated:Sep 16,2015. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer for all Americans, and stroke is also a leading cause of death. As frightening as those statistics are the risks of getting those diseases are even higher for African-Americans. The good news is, African-Americans can improve their odds of preventing and beating these diseases by understanding the risks and taking simple steps to address them.
Heart disease