Focus placed on key health needs of African-Americans

Physicians are urged to step in early to help patients conquer risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes and to gain control of asthma.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Feb. 12, 2007.

Washington -- "It's a wake-up call."

At least that's how the majority of respondents in a recent survey of 502 African-Americans described their first heart attack. But the survey also determined that this alarm failed to inspire many of those questioned to take action to ward off a second, thus setting up a puzzling health care disconnect and highlighting some of the continuing areas of concern regarding minority patient populations.

The National Medical Assn.'s survey found that 64% of those queried viewed their survival as providing a second chance at life, but 22% were not taking their medications as prescribed, and 26% were not seeing their physicians regularly.

Clyde Yancy, MD, medical director of Baylor University's Heart and Vascular Institute in Dallas, presented the data during a Jan. 16 briefing sponsored by the National Medical Assn. In addition to cardiovascular disease, the event focused on asthma and diabetes. The three take a major toll on the health of African-Americans.

The possible reasons behind these survivors' lack of attention to their medical care cover a broad set of disparity concerns. Dr. Yancy speculated that these could range from socioeconomic issues, such as the cost of medications and doctor visits, to cultural issues, such as trust in physicians or concern about drug side effects. The survey did not ask patients why they didn't take specific steps to prevent future heart attacks.

But 27% of the survivors reported that they did not have enough information on what to do to prevent more heart attacks. The majority, 83%, said speaking to another heart attack survivor would be helpful.