According to the National Vital Statistics System, more people died from cancer than heart disease in 22 states during 2014. This is a substantial uptick from 2002, when only two states (Alaska and Minnesota) had more cancer deaths than heart disease-related ones. “This might be due to obesity, which is a risk factor for both heart disease and cancer,” explained Dr. Paolo Boffetta, a professor of environmental medicine and public health at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who was not involved in the study. “Cancer deaths gaining on deaths related to heart disease might be explained by the fact that treatment for cancer is more complex, and we are not able to treat cancer as effectively as cardiovascular disease yet.” For Latinos, cancer is already the leading cause ...
A new report from the Heartland Regional Health Equity Council addressed the disparities in heart disease in four Midwest states: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. The Heart Disease Disparities Report provides an overview of the demographics and heart disease disparities in these states. Chronic conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are among the most frequent and costly health conditions in the United States. Latinos are disproportionately burdened by many of these chronic illnesses. The data in the report covers the time period from 2000 to 2010. The data was collected from numerous sources, including online tools, state health department offices, and surveys. Some of the findings from the report include dramatic Latino population increases in the four ...
Regular exercise could help boost the survival of people who have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study has found. COPD includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis or a combination of two. It is often related to smoking. “We know that physical activity can have a positive benefit for people with COPD and these findings confirm that it may reduce the risk of dying following hospitalization,” said Dr. Marilyn Moy, assistant professor of medicine and Harvard Medical School and the study’s lead author. Within the U.S. Latino community, respiratory health is a key issue of concern, particularly because environmental pollutants and work conditions put Latinos at heightened risk of developing respiratory conditions and diseases. According to the ...
Although fewer Americans overall are dying from heart disease than 40 years ago, researchers have found that the top “hotbeds” for heart disease have migrated to the Southern U.S. In the 1970s, the counties with the highest heart disease rates were clustered in the northeast, according to a new study, HealthDay reports. Now, they are concentrated in what is considered the “deep” South, a region where the Latino population is large. The U.S. southwest, for example, is by far the most Latino region of the country, but the entire Latino population is booming in the South, according to a report. The study has not determined the causes for the shift, only the trend. “[From] other studies we know the socioeconomic conditions of a county can affect rates of smoking and ...
A new study found that moderate-intensity dancing can lower a person's risk of dying from heart disease, which disproportionately affects Latinos, Reuters reports. The study included questions about frequency, duration, and intensity of dancing and walking over a four-week period. Only about 3,100 of the 48,000 people surveyed reported dancing of any intensity, and nearly two-thirds said they walked at any intensity. In the study's follow-up, heart disease had caused 1,714 deaths. People who reported moderate-intensity dancing and walking were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who did not. “It is not surprising that moderate-intensity physical activity is protective against cardiovascular disease mortality,” lead author Dafna Merom of the University ...
Cancer is quickly becoming the No.1 killer in the United States and the leading cause of death among Latinos, Fox News reports. New health statistics show cancer is quickly overtaking heart disease as the top cause of death in the U.S., despite death rates falling in the last 25 years. According to government figures cancer is the “leading cause of death in certain groups of people, including Hispanics, Asians, and adults ages 40 to 79.” The American Cancer Society predicts there will be 1.7 million new cancer cases this year, and 600,000 deaths. “Government figures for 2014 show cancer was the leading cause of death in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, ...
The American Heart Association (AHA) is urging Hispanic families to discuss heart health, given their struggles with heart disease, VoxxiNews reports. More than one-third of Hispanics have heart diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, hypertension, heart failure, and irregular heartbeat. Hispanics also have elevated risk factors, like obesity and diabetes. Here are seven reasons Latinos should take heart disease seriously, via VoxxiNews: Among Mexican-American adults age 20 and older, 33.4% of men and 30.7% percent of women have cardiovascular disease (CVD).
2.8% of Hispanic adults have had a stroke.
Men, blacks, and Mexican Americans have higher rates of TIA (mini-stroke) than their female and non-Hispanic white counterparts.
Mexican Americans have higher cumulative ...
Cancer recently passed heart disease as the top killer of Latinos. But heart disease shouldn't be ignored. Culturally appropriate health promotion, prevention and treatment is vital to saving lives and preserving Latino families, said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for the American Heart Association, in a Huffington Post article. The article lists several reasons for concern: Preschool-age Hispanic children are four times more likely to be obese compared to non-Hispanic white children. These children are more likely to develop heart disease and diabetes as young adults.
Hispanic youths have higher smoking rates—28 percent of Hispanic eighth graders smoke compared to 23.7 percent of non-Hispanic white children. Smoking is the number one preventable cause ...
Hispanics live longer than other population groups, even though they face higher rates of blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, according to the largest-ever study of Latino health. The federal study, called the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), is a multi-city epidemiological study collected information on the health issues, risk factors, and lifestyle habits that impact this population. The study has followed more than 16,000 Hispanic adults from Chicago, San Diego, Miami and the Bronx since 2008. Some of its initial national results include: 80% of Hispanic men and 71% of women had at least one adverse risk factor for heart disease (i.e., high cholesterol/blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or smoking).
The percentage with obesity was high among ...
