Heart Disease

Minority Women's Health > African Americans > Health Topics > Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Heart disease is a group of diseases of the heart and the blood vessel system in the heart. Coronary heart disease, the most common type, affects the blood vessels of the heart. It can cause angina or a heart attack. Angina is a pain in the chest that happens when the heart does not get enough blood. It may feel like a pressing or squeezing pain, often in the chest, but sometimes in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Having angina means you're more likely to have a heart attack. A heart attack happens when a blood vessel is blocked for more than 20 minutes.

Claudette's Story

Picture of Claudette "I consider myself to be relatively healthy and I exercise for about 90 minutes every morning. I started having pain in my chest and face during my exercising, and finally went to the cardiologist. I never thought that the pain in my face could be related to my heart, so I was shocked when the tests showed that I had had a heart attack. I thought I was too young, but my father died of a heart attack when he was only 38, so I had family history as a risk factor. After my second heart attack, I knew that I needed to help get the message out. Women need to know that heart disease is their biggest health threat."

Signs of a heart attack:

pain or discomfort in the center of the chest for more than 20 minutes
pain or discomfort lasting more than 20 minutes in other parts of the upper body, including the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
other symptoms, including shortness of breath (feeling like you can't get enough air), breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), or feeling faint

Other symptoms women may have include:

unusual tiredness
trouble sleeping
problems breathing
indigestion (upset stomach)
anxiety (feeling uneasy or worried)

If you have any of these symptoms, call 911.

African American women are 35% more likely than non-Hispanic white women to die from heart disease. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and smoking all put women at risk for heart disease. Studies have shown that African Americans don't get the same care for heart disease as whites because they don't get the same tests and treatments.

You have the power to fight heart disease! Read on for some tips on keeping your heart healthy.

Don't smoke. If you smoke, try to quit. For help along the way, check out our Quitting Smoking section.
Keep a healthy weight.
Get moving. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, most days of the week. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or, walk during breaks at work.
Eat heart-healthy foods. Eat whole-grain foods, vegetables, and fruit. Choose lean meats and low-fat cheese and dairy products. Limit foods that have lots of saturated fat, like butter, whole milk, baked goods, ice cream, fatty meats, and cheese.
Know your numbers. Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) and blood glucose (sugar).

Publications

For Your Heart - This portion of the womenshealth.gov web site will escort you through a short, confidential survey of questions about your health and lifestyle. Based on your answers, it will provide you with a series of articles detailing the latest information on exercise, nutrition, smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other factors that affect you and your risk for heart disease - all tailored to your needs.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/ForYourHeart/
Be Heart Smart! Eat Foods Lower in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol - This booklet offers specific information on lowering the fat in your diet and identifies steps to promote healthy lifestyles among African Americans.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/smart.pdf
Energize Yourself! Stay Physically Active - This booklet provides specific information on becoming more physically fit and identifies steps to promote healthy lifestyles among African Americans.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/energize.htm
Facts About Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) for African Americans - This colorful 6 page tri-fold fact sheet provides easy to read information on Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), as it relates to African Americans. PAD is a condition that affects one out of every 20 Americans over the age of 50. PAD raises your risk for stroke and heart attack.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/pad/docs/pad_extfactsheet_aa_508.pdf...
Heart Disease and African Americans - This web page lists updated statistics about African Americans and heart disease compared to other ethnicities.
http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=3018
Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style - Prepare your favorite African American dishes in ways that protect you and your family from heart disease and stroke. These 20 tested recipes will show you how to cut back on saturated fat, cholesterol, salt, and sodium and still have great-tasting food. Delicious foods from spicy southern barbecued chicken to sweet potato pie are included.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/cooking.htm
Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure: Mission Possible. What Every African American Should Know - This fact sheet targets African American adults with messages about their special risks associated with high blood pressure and tips for preventing and controlling it.
http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/mission/partner/african_americans.pdf
Refresh Yourself! Stop Smoking - This booklet offers specific information on how to quit smoking and identifies steps to promote healthy lifestyles among African Americans. Easy-to-follow tips are provided on resisting the urge to smoke and maintaining the will power to accomplish your goals.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/refresh.htm
The Heart Truth for African American Women: An Action Plan - This fact sheet provides The Heart Truth facts and figures specific to African American women. Statistics are provided on heart related issues, as well as a checklist of questions to ask your doctor to begin your action plan for a healthy heart.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/material/factsheet_aa.pdf
Women, Heart Disease and Stroke (Copyright © AHA) - The American Heart Association has identified several factors that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Information is included on the risk factors for heart disease and stroke that you can't control, the risk factors that can be modified, treated, or controlled by focusing on lifestyle habits and taking medicine, and other factors that contribute to the risk of heart disease and stroke in women.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4786

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007