Hispanic Women Unaware of Heart Disease Risk: New Study
Fewer than a third of Hispanic women are aware that heart disease is the number one killer of women, according to a Columbia University Medical Center study published earlier this year in the Journal of Women's Health. According to the American Heart Association, Hispanic women face rates of heart disease similar to those of most ethnic groups. Unfortunately, that notion runs contrary to the conventional wisdom that Hispanics face a lower risk of heart disease -- an erroneous belief that has been attributed to faulty census data, rather than any genetic anomaly.
According to a separate study published this spring in Endocrine Practice, the official journal of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the prevalence and growth of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. Hispanic-Latino community is projected to grow significantly in coming decades, due in part to rising rates of obesity and inactivity among Hispanic-Latino youth. The problem is further compounded, researchers note, by a cultural belief that disease is an unavoidable and normal part of life.
Health experts at the Mayo Clinic offer this advice for women and men to help prevent heart disease:
- "Don't smoke or use tobacco products: If you smoke, quit -- it's the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease. When you quit smoking, your risk of heart disease drops dramatically within just one year, though your health will begin to improve much sooner than that.
- Get active: Regularly participating in vigorous physical activity can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease by nearly 25%. You should try to get 30 minutes to an hour of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet: Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Saturated fats, like those found in beef, butter, cheese, coconut and palm oils raise your risk of heart disease.
- Maintain a healthy weight: A body mass index of 25 or higher puts you at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. In general, men are considered overweight if their waist line is larger than 40 inches, and women are considered overweight if their waist line is larger than 35 inches.
- Get regular health screenings: Regular blood pressure and cholesterol screening can identify conditions that will damage your heart before serious damage is done."