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 medical dilemma was predicted years ago when I brought it to the attention of the African American community.
Physicians and cardiac care nurses are noticing that African American patients, who have a heart attack, do not look like patients who had heart attacks years ago. The symptoms in these patients are often different from the classical chest pain and short of breath, suggestive of heart disease. The primary difference is obesity which is epidemic in the millennial population, especially among African American women.
Obesity is also an issue among African American men, but more prevalent among the women. You will appreciate an increase in high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke is directly linked to obesity if you connect the dots.
Your opinion matters.
Thaddeus J. Bell, MD
Founder
I am Dr. Thaddeus John Bell, closing the gap in health disparities for African Americans and the underserved.