Title: Why 7 Deadly Diseases Strike Blacks Most
Headings: Why 7 Deadly Diseases Strike Blacks Most
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Why 7 Deadly Diseases Strike Blacks Most
Health care disparities heighten disease differences between African-Americans and white Americans.

Content: Black American babies die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) 2.5 times as often as white American babies. Black American men are 50% more likely to get lung cancer than white American men. Black Americans are half as likely to get flu and pneumonia vaccinations as white Americans. Continued
Why? "There are a couple of reasons," Graham says. " One is that 71% of African-Americans versus 58% of white Americans live in communities that violate federal air pollution standards. When we look at African-Americans in terms of demographic distribution, they are more likely to be located near, if not next to, transportation corridors, and to places where the air is drawn." Another reason is that a higher percentage of black Americans than white Americans live close to toxic waste dumps -- and to the factories that produce this waste. Genetic differences may also play a role. For example, it is clear that cigarette smoking causes lung disease.