Dr. Bell explains that the diagnostic threshold for hypertension has changed to 120/80, and both the systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) readings are crucial.
Heart
Understand heart health with tips on prevention, recognizing symptoms, and managing heart-related conditions.
Heart Disease, the Number One Cause of Death for Black Women
isSeveral years ago, the editor of Closing the Gap in Health Care died from a massive heart attack, while sitting on stage, awaiting an award from her high school. The pain of her sudden death continues to haunt me because we had recently discussed health...
The Face of Heart Disease is Changing
Perhaps, you have noticed that millennials are getting as sick as those in the baby boomer population. Not every millennial can say they do not know of someone in their age group who has experienced a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. Frankly, this...
Warning Signs African American Women Should Not Ignore
Recently, a friend revealed that his wife experienced an acute, onset of symptoms which neither of them recognized as serious. They thought she should stay home to see if the symptoms would cease and she almost died from taking this approach. These are some...
Hypertension 2018
Hypertension continues to be the primary health condition commonly seen by most primary physicians. It is estimated that more than 40 million people have hypertension and a significant percentage of them are unaware of the condition. Recently, the guidelines for...
Being Healthy and Obese is a Myth
Obesity, a major medical issue, not often discussed, is prevalent in the African American community and I hesitate to discuss the disease because it can be a touchy subject. Recent medical research reveals that people who are obese are likely to develop heart failure,...
Heart Failure and Over the Counter Medications
Heart failure is one of the most common reasons people over the age of 65 are admitted to the hospital. It is an abnormal condition in which the demands of the body cannot be met by the heart, meaning the pump has failed. This condition is characterized by shortness...
Black Women Suffer After the Traumatic Death of Black Men
I have observed, over the past several months, African American men die violently on our streets and in our neighborhoods. The subsequent focus is on the imminent grieving of the loved one, particularly, mothers, wives, sisters, or female significant others. These...
Conventional Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Several weeks ago, I gave a barbershop talk to a group of Black men and was not surprised that the majority of them did not know that the number one cause of death among Black people is heart disease. Most of them thought that cancer was the major cause of death and...
Hepatitis C – Baby Boomers, Get Checked
Baby boomers have been encouraged, during the past several months, to get screened for hepatitis C. What is interesting and not clear to me is the reason this age group of people has not been targeted. It is also unusual that not one of my patients has requested a...
Hypertension Among African American Millennials
High blood pressure is increasing worldwide and is a major health issue for African Americans of all ages because they are at a very risk for developing hypertension, especially at a young age. You should have some basic information about this issue if you live in...