Heart Disease in Hispanic Women

The Hispanic Paradox

            Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women in the United States.  Awareness about heart disease among women overall has been increasing over the years.  A recent survey conducted by the American Heart Association found that 62% of Caucasian women but only 34% of Hispanic women were aware that heart disease is their greatest health threat. (Mosca, Circulation 2006)  Previously it was thought that Hispanic women had a lower risk of heart disease, but recent studies have shown that Hispanic women develop heart disease risk factors ten years earlier than Caucasian women. (Teeters, 2007) Little data is available regarding CVD preventive measures specific to the Hispanic/Latino population because very few trials have been conducted in this group alone.  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently reported that Hispanics are 38% less likely than non-Hispanics to have visited their doctor within the past year and more than 25% of Hispanics have never had their cholesterol checked.

            Hispanic women face several barriers, which may prevent access to appropriate cardiovascular screenings:

·        Lack of awareness

·        Decreased recognition of the value of preventive screenings

·        Lack of access to culturally sensitive information

·        Language barriers

·        Financial constraints/lack of insurance (33% uninsured)

·        Lack of transportation

·        Reliance on community health centers and clinics

 

Scope of the Problem

            The Hispanic/Latino (Cuban, Central American, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, Dominican, and Spanish ancestry) population is very diverse and is the fastest growing minority group in the United States.

 

The following are modifiable risk factors for heart disease in the Hispanic population:

·        Diabetes-according to the NIH, Hispanics are almost twice as likely as whites to have diabetes

·        Excess weight and obesity-according to the NIH, almost 83% of mid-life Hispanic women are overweight or obese

·        The Metabolic Syndrome

·        Inactivity-almost 60% of Hispanic women report that they do not exercise regularly

·        Pre-hypertension-32% of Hispanic women in their early and mid fifties have pre-hypertension

·        Hypertension-more than 20% of Hispanic women have high blood pressure

·        Depression-Hispanic women have the highest lifetime prevalence of depression

·        Smoking-approximately 11% of Hispanic women over the age of 18 smoke

·        High Cholesterol-Hispanic women tend to have lower HDL cholesterol levels and higher triglyceride levels

 

 

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

Women are more likely to experience prodromal “warning” symptoms days to weeks preceding a heart attack.  These symptoms include: chest discomfort, SOB, fatigue, palpitations, anxiety, nausea/indigestion, sleep disturbances, change in appetite, visual disturbances, and changes in thought processes.  The most common prodromal symptoms experienced by Hispanic women include fatigue, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.  In addition, women often exhibit atypical symptoms when presenting with a heart attack. In a recent study by McSweeney, et.al presented at an American Heart Association meeting, the most frequent acute symptoms in Hispanic women were shortness of breath, discomfort in chest/back/shoulder blades, weakness, fatigue and arm weakness/heaviness.

 

 

Latino/Hispanic Heart Health Online Resources:

Latino Nutrition Coalition:         www.latinonutrition.org

Go Red for Women:                

http://www.goredforwomen.org/  OR http://goredcorazon.org/enes/

Heart Truth for Latinas:             www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth  OR

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/espanol.htm

Heart Healthy Latino Recipes (Platillos Latinos):

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/sp_recip.pdf

Bi-lingual Booklets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors:  www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health

Heartstrong En Espanol www.heart-strong.com

 

 

References

Mosca, L, et.al. National Study of Women’s Awareness, Preventive Action, and Barriers to Cardiovascular Health. Circulation. 2006; 113: 525-534.

 

Teeters, J, et.al. Hispanic women at higher risk for heart disease.  Abstract P327. American Heart Association Meeting, 2007.

 

Brand New Book “Take Charge: A Women’s Guide to a Healthier Heart” release date Feb 2009. For more information please visit http://heart-strong.com/Bookstore.html

Heart Disease Frightening Stats & Heart Healthy Goals

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death of both men and women in the United States.

 

Some Frightening Statistics: 

• About every 26 seconds someone in this country has a heart attack, and about one person dies of heart disease every minute of every day.
• Although the overall death rates for heart disease have been declining over the last several years, the death rates for younger women (aged 35 to 44) have increased approximately 1.3% annually between 1997 and 2002.
• Recent research has suggested that Hispanic women may develop heart disease risk factors 10 years earlier than white women.
• African American men and women have the highest risk of developing high blood pressure and the highest death rates from heart disease.

 

Now the Good News: 

• 80% of heart attacks are preventable
• The “Turning Back the Clock” Study found that following a healthy lifestyle (exercising 2.5 hours weekly, eating 5 fruits/vegetables a day, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight) reduce the risk for heart disease by 80%

 

Heart Healthy Goals:

•  
  1. Know Your Numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, weight)
  2. Exercise 30 minutes daily (Get a pedometer to track your activity – all adults should be walking at least 10,000 steps every day)
  3. Identify healthy ways to lower your stress level
  4. Limit alcoholic beverages to no more than 2 a day for men, no more than 1  a day for women
  5. Stop smoking, avoid second hand smoke
  6. Diet: Eat whole grains, fish (not fried) twice a week, eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits/vegetables a day, avoid trans fat, limit saturated fat
  7. Limit salt/sodium intake
  8. Maintain a healthy weight
  9. Cut back on beverages/food with added sugars (a 24-ounce regular soda has 280 calories, if you eliminate one soda from your diet every day you could lose 30 pounds in a year)
  10. Prevent weight gain by eating 100 fewer calories every day and increasing your activity by 2,000 steps every day