CALIFORNIA, USA — Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans. Research shows black people are 30% more likely to die from it. Another 30 to 40% have high blood pressure and many struggle to control it.
ABC10 Health Expert Dr. Payal Kohli said there is plenty that can be done systematically within the medical system to improve the outcomes for African American patients. As organizations and health professionals work toward change it's important to take charge of your own health.
Kohli said it's important to know where you stand. That means keeping up with your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar even if you're young and healthy. You also want to pay attention to some of the signs of a heart attack. That could be chest pressure, tightness or heaviness. You could also have trouble exercising or lying down flat and suffer from lightheadedness.
"If you're noticing these signs and symptoms of heart disease, you definitely don't want to ignore them. You definitely don't want to say I'm just getting older or maybe I'm out of shape. You need to get them checked out. How urgently you need to get them checked out really depends on the severity. If you're having any symptoms at rest, meaning you're feeling short of breath or feeling something heavy on your chest at rest, that's a 911 phone call because it might be a heart attack," Kohli said.
She said you want to move fast in situations surrounding the heart. The faster the reaction, the better the outcome.
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