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ONE is the No. 1 single cause of death to Blacks in the United States. The other is No. 3. Together, the twin assassins of heart disease and stroke kill 9,000 Blacks every month--more deaths to African-Americans than all other diseases combined.

But as devastating as cardiovascular disease is, research has shown that Blacks are actually more afraid of cancer and AIDS than heart disease. And most Black women believe that breast cancer (which kills 1 in 25 women) is their greatest health risk, although heart disease and stroke claim 1 in every 2 women.

In fact, the disparities in heart disease are widest for African-American women, who have a 69 percent higher death rate than White women. The reasons for the disparities include a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and obesity among Black women.

But there is good news. Doctors say the risk of having a heart attack--even in people who already have coronary heart disease or have had a previous heart attack--can be reduced by preventing or controlling certain risk factors.

One of the greatest risks is smoking. Cigarettes greatly increase the risk of fatal and nonfatal heart attacks in both men and women. Smoking also increases the risk of a second heart attack among survivors. Women who smoke and use oral contraceptives have an even greater risk than smoking alone.

The good news is that quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of heart attack. One year after quitting, the risk of having a heart attack drops to about one-half that of current smokers and gradually returns to normal in people without heart disease. Even among people with heart disease, the risk also drops sharply one year after quitting smoking and it continues to decline.

Another factor that increases the risk of heart attack is high blood pressure. Also called hypertension, high blood pressure makes the heart work harder than it should. Although it has no symptoms, hypertension is the most common form of cardiovascular disease. Two out of every three Blacks will develop hypertension by the time they are 60. Those who have high blood pressure have an 80 percent higher stroke mortality rate, a 50 percent higher heart disease mortality rate and a 320 percent greater rate of kidney disease than in the general population.

# posted by Medical Information : 5:24 AM