Title: African Americans and Heart Disease - The Heart Foundation
Headings: 
African Americans and Heart Disease
Atherosclerosis
Blood Pressure

Content: African Americans and Heart Disease - The Heart Foundation
African Americans and Heart Disease
Hannah
September 7, 2018
Blog, Healthy Living, Heart Disease Facts
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for all Americans, but certain minority groups face a greater risk than others. Deaths from heart disease are higher in black Americans than in white Americans and other ethnic groups, and heart disease develops at a younger age in African Americans. Nearly 48% of African American women and 44% of African American men have some form of heart disease. Research has found that even among the growing middle- and upper-class black community, the rate of heart disease among black Americans is still greater than in white Americans who have a comparable socioeconomic status. The most common conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke among black Americans are high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. High blood pressure means your heart is pumping harder than it should. High blood pressure puts your arteries under constant stress and speeds up arteriosclerosis, a condition that makes your arteries get harder, narrower, and clogged with fatty plaque. Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The prevalence of high blood pressure in African Americans is the highest in the world.