Recent studies have shown that a number of serious health conditions are showing up amongst younger Black American patients in the U.S.
Here are five conditions that disproportionately affect Black Americans.
Hypertension
About 55% of Black adults in the U.S. suffer from hypertension. Characterized more broadly as high blood pressure, hypertension is when blood moves through arteries with elevated pressure. When diagnosed with the illness, often at earlier ages, Black Americans are also more likely to develop more aggressive cases where they suffer from severe high blood pressure. More often, though, they are the least likely to receive medication for hypertension as a result of systemic factors in health care.
If treated, Black Americans often need two or more medications to control their blood pressure levels.
Most Black adults have #hypertension. Learn how physicians and other health professionals can improve care for Black patients with high BP. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/tFYNxTIBWw
— AMA (@AmerMedicalAssn) February 19, 2024
Breast cancer
Although breast cancer affects women from all backgrounds, with cases averaging out to 310,000 each year, Black women have a higher chance of passing away from the disease. Often, they develop more aggressive types of cancer, such as triple-negative breast cancer, at earlier ages than white women as a result of higher chances of exposure to carcinogens. Throughout the past 20 years, Black women have recorded a mortality rate of 40%- a rate that is 42% higher than that of white women.
Currently, the number one cause of death from cancer for Black women, breast cancer, has been linked with multiple products for sale that are marketed to Black women. Products include personal products such as hair dye and relaxers.
Prostate cancer
Recent research has found that prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men in the U.S. Although the reasoning behind why is not fully understood, Black men are nearly 70% more likely to develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Once they are diagnosed, Black men are twice as likely to die from the disease.
Doctors often recommend proactively screening for the cancer as it will be more likely to be caught in earlier stages.
Black women are 41% more likely to die of breast cancer than White women. Donate now to help us continue to address disparities like these – and save even more lives from breast cancer. pic.twitter.com/hzMxiDriRl
— American Cancer Society (@AmericanCancer) October 6, 2023
Strokes
Black Americans often have a higher risk of suffering from a stroke as a result of increased factors such as hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, high cholesterol and stress. According to the Health and Human Services, approximately 4% of Black Americans over the age of 18 have suffered from a stroke compared to 2.7% of white people. Cases are more likely to be fatal with 51.8 Black men out of every 100,000 people passing away on average from a stroke.
Symptoms that someone is having a stroke include face drooping, arm weakness and speech difficulty.
Nearly half of all Black adults in the U.S. have some form of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and stroke.#LiveToTheBeat and protect your heart’s health. https://t.co/A1HdoY7707 pic.twitter.com/z00tcDjd5d
— CDC (@CDCgov) February 27, 2024
Dementia
Overall, Black Americans are twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Characterized as a syndrome, dementia damages nerve cells and the brain as a whole. Among Black Americans aged 70 and older, approximately 22% are living with some form of dementia. The rate is perpetuated by the fact that, when they go to receive help for the illness, approximately 50% of Black Americans say that they were discriminated against.
Only 48% of Black Americans say that they can confidently say that they have access to proper care for dementia.
