Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013
For Minority Physicians
February is American Heart Month
More than 40 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. With February observed as American Heart Month, the AMA Minority Affairs Section (MAS) encourages physicians to continue to educate patients about the risk and prevention strategies to prevent high blood pressure and support a healthy heart.
Email the AMA-MAS if you have a project or idea that could raise awareness about this health care issue.
What African-American patients need to know about stroke
Online resources from the National Stroke Association (NSA) can help your patients be informed about the prevalence of stroke in minorities, specifically African-Americans. According to the NSA, African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to die from stroke, and half of all black women will die from stroke or heart disease.
Additionally, the rate of first strokes in African-Americans is almost double that of whites, and African-American stroke survivors are more likely to become disabled and have trouble with daily living and activities.
The AMA Minority Affairs Section (MAS) promotes educating patients about stroke symptoms and the lifestyle and medical changes that can be made to prevent a stroke. Email the AMA-MAS if you have a project or idea that could help prevent a health disparity such as this or raise awareness about this health care issue.
