Title: Why Are African-Americans at Greater Risk for Heart Disease?
Headings: Why Are African-Americans at Greater Risk for Heart Disease?
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Why Are African-Americans at Greater Risk for Heart Disease?
African-Americans are at higher risk for heart disease, yet they're less likely to get the care they need.
African-Americans and Heart Failure
African-Americans and Health Care

Content: Continued
"African-Americans with heart failure are more likely to be taken care of in a primary care practice," Taylor says, "even though the data would suggest that the best care -- the care that decreases hospitalizations and improves mortality rates -- happens in cardiologists' offices." Further, some African-Americans "tend to see illness and disease as the main reason for health care, so you don't go to the physician for preventive medicine -- you go when you're sick," says Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, FACC, FAHA. Ferdinand is a clinical professor in the cardiology division at Emory University and chief science officer of the Association of Black Cardiologists. " When are you sick? When you have symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling, dizziness. By the time people manifest the signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease, they have already had that disease present for one, two, or even three decades." Treating Heart Disease Risk Factors
Drummond's father, who had health insurance but not a physician he would go to on a regular basis, provides a cautionary tale about why African-Americans must maintain a consistent relationship with a good doctor who knows their medical history and provides preventive care, screenings, and referrals to specialists. "He had a leaking valve, and it didn't get replaced as soon as it should have," Drummond says. " The doctor told us it should have been replaced six or seven years earlier.