According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people of color get sick and die of COVID-19 at rates higher than whites. Please continue to follow the guidelines for wearing masks, social distancing and handwashing in order to stop the spread. To learn more about the effect COVID-19 is having on Black and Hispanic communities as well as how the approved vaccines work, please visit the following resources developed by the CDC:
Knowledge Can Save Your Life
Get the facts about high-risk diseases like heart disease, so you can seek care that’s right for you – when and where you need it.
Why do people of certain races, ethnicities, genders and backgrounds have a higher risk of getting serious diseases? Why do they often go undiagnosed and untreated? Learning important information – risk factors, disease prevention and how to get medical help – is necessary to get the care you need. Physicians are there to help, but it’s up to you to get involved and be prepared with questions.
You’re Not Alone
Discover what happened when these patients got informed about heart disease and took action for treatment for heart disease.
Who’s Affected
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 causes of death in the United States2
Minorities are almost half as likely to get preventive treatment for heart disease than Caucasians3
Blacks have double the risk of heart failure than Caucasians4
References:
1 Agneta Åkesson, Susanna C. Larsson, Andrea Discacciati, Alicja Wolk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), online 22 September 2014, VOL. 64, NO. 13, 2014.
2 CDC, NCHS. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released 2015. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2013, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed Feb. 3, 2015.
3 Bonow, R., Grant, A., Jacobs, A. The Cardiovascular State of the Union: Confronting Healthcare Disparities. Circulation. 2005: 111; 1205-1207.
4 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2009 Update: A Report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation 2008.