A Broken Heart Part 1

Some African American women are ill informed when it comes to perils of heart disease. At least half of the African American women surveyed did not know that heart disease was the number one cause of death in women. Many thought it was breast cancer. Black and Hispanic women are less likely to know about the risk factors of cardiovascular disease than white women. Black women are less likely to pay serious attention to the risk factors that cause heart disease. Heart disease present in men is not the same as the disease present in women. Sometimes, the tests used to detect heart disease in women show the arteries to be clear when in fact something is really wrong with the heart. We also know that women in the post menopausal years are more prone to have heart disease than was originally thought. Diabetes and low good cholesterol are also major risk factors for a broken heart.

Health Recommendations for Expecting
Mothers and Their Babies

The health status of a country is often determined by the infant mortality rate of that country. The infant mortality rate is the number of children that die per 100,000 births. The US is ranked 26th among developed counties. Compared to other states, South Carolina is ranked near the bottom. The infant mortality for African Americans in South Carolina is high. In an effort to improve these numbers, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in collaboration with other health agencies, has released recommendations that women should follow to protect their health as well as that of their new babies. The recommendations are:

• Before pregnancy, women of childbearing age should see their physician to control preexisting medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or eating disorders.
   

• Mothers should begin taking folic acid, a vitamin supplement, to prevent birth defects in the baby.
   

• Mothers should quit smoking and drinking alcohol.
   

• Mothers should adopt healthy lifestyles such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising and paying close attention to nutrition and oral health.

Black folk must take heed. Our future as healthy people depends on it

HPV Vaccine

This month has been a good month for major medical news directly related to women. The FDA approved a new vaccine called “Gardasil” that will be given in three shots to prevent the Human Papillomavirus which causes cervical cancer. Remember HPV is one of the reasons that women get Pap smears because they help detect or prevent cervical cancer. Cervical Cancer is the second most common cancer in women and is responsible for about 3,500 deaths per year. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that affects about 6 million women a year. The development of this vaccine is a major public health victory if African American women will get this vaccination. It will be recommended that the vaccine be given to females age 9 - 25. The vaccine can also prevent genital warts, but it will not be given for that purpose at this time. This vaccine is only for Women and costs about $500.

The Mosaic Health Face of the African American Woman

This week we turn our attention to the health dilemma of the Black Woman. From a health prospective, African American women have not faired well in the health disparities dilemma but continue to out live her Black male partner. For the most part African American women are becoming a better student of health issues which has paid off in many cases. A Black woman will at least go the physician. The health issues she deals with are well documented but alarming new research shows that Black women are losing out on several fronts which show no signs of improving. The top five health issues for Black women are:

1. HIV/ AIDS cases which are spreading like wildfire.
    

2. Obesity with all of it complications
    

3. Heart disease - #1 cause of death in AA Women
    

4. Breast Cancer – Even though it is not the most abundant cancer, it is still the most feared among Black women.
    

5. Anxiety/Stress or the problems of life that effect women are up and coming. If you are a young woman become interested in your health early?

If you are an older woman, don’t take good health for granted. Get a health assessment to see if your lifestyle is up to par.

The Health Face of the African American Woman

This month we turn our attention to the health dilemma of the Black Woman. African American women have not faired well in the health disparities dilemma but continue to out live their Black male partner. African American women are becoming better students of health issues and that’s has paid off in many cases, however, alarming new research shows that Black women are losing out on several fronts. The top five health issues for Black women are:

1. HIV/AIDS Cases which are spreading like wildfire.
2. Obesity and all its complications
3. Heart disease - #1 cause of death in AA Women
4. Breast, Lung, and Colon Cancer
5. Positive Lifestyle Issues If you are a young woman, become interested in your health early.

If you are an older woman, don’t take good health for granted. Get a health assessment to see if your health and lifestyle is up to par.