The article “Hispanics and Cardiovascular Health and the 'Hispanic Paradox': What is Known and What Needs to be Discovered?” focuses on the relation between cardiovascular diseases and Hispanics. By presenting three main reasons which include; the growing Hispanic population within the Us, the low number of research studies in the US and outside for Hispanics, and the “Hispanic Paradox,” Carl J. Lavie and Francisco Lopez Jimenez are able to explain why studying and understanding cardiovascular health among Hispanics is crucial. One of the most significant cultural issues impacting this situation is that Hispanics in the US have the highest rates of uninsured people, and the lowest rates of screening for cardiovascular disease and risks. Furthermore the Lavie and Lopez-Jimenez explain that besides healthcare coverage, and quality services there aren't enough epidemiologic studies and cardiovascular disease research focused on Hispanics (2014, pp.1). The diverse nature of Hispanics also amplifies this issue. The article also focuses on the “Hispanic Paradox” and how this issue impacts the situation. This paradox points out that even though Hispanics have “a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors and disadvantageous socio-economic situations” in the US they have a higher life expectancy …show more content…
One one hand CVD mortality is high in Latin America and Spain, but there isn't enough research available in those locations to properly examine the exact risks and incidence rates of cardiovascular diseases. But, on the other hand the “Hispanic Paradox” presents an interesting perspective on this issue. In this course we have discussed how health is subjective and often what you make of it. Although Hispanics are at a high risk for CVD there is something that is obviously being done within Hispanic in the US that is helping them live longer demonstrating that this risk isn't a limiting factor for maintaining overall
Diabetes is a prevalent health disparity among the Latino population. Diabetes is listed as the fifth leading cause of death among the Latino population in the website for Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, in 2009. According to McBean, “the 2001 prevalence among Hispanics was significantly higher than among blacks.” (2317) In other words among the Hispanic or Latino community, there is a higher occurrence of diabetes as compared to other racial/ethnic groups such as Blacks and Native Americans. The prevalence of diabetes among Latinos is attributed to the social determinants of health such as low socioeconomic status and level of education. Further, this becomes an important public health issue when it costs the United States $174 billion in both direct and indirect costs, based on the 2007 The National Diabetes Fact Sheet released by the CDC. In turn, medical expenses are twice as high for a patient that has diabetes as opposed to one without. Finally, this high cost becomes another barrier to receiving care for Latinos when some are in the low socioeconomic status.
Since 1960 the age-adjusted mortality rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has declined steadily in the U.S. due to multiple factors, but still remains one of the primary causes of morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Greater control of risk factors and improved treatments for cardiovascular disease has significantly contributed to this decline (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). In the U.S. alone it claims approximately 830,000 each year and accounts for 1/6 of all deaths under the age of 65 (Weiss and Lonnquist, 2011). Based on the 2007 mortality rate data an average of 1 death every 37 seconds is due to cardiovascular disease (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2009). Controlling and reducing risk factors is crucial for saving lives. There are a number of contributing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which may appear in the form of hereditary, behavioral, and psychological, all of which ultimately converge in social or cultural factors.
The notion that recent Latino immigrants are harbingers of crime and adverse social behaviors has no basis in truth, and in fact, it has been shown that immigrants may in fact have an opposite effect on neighborhood crime. In his article, Sampson (2008) considers the concept of the “Latino Paradox” – the fact that Hispanic Americans often score higher on a wide range of social indicators than expected (including those related to crime), given their socioeconomic disadvantages – comparing and contrasting it with his research collected on Latino immigrant populations in Chicago. Through a case study in 180 Chicago neighborhoods, Sampson suggested that higher rates of immigration in a neighborhood effectively reduces crime rates. The researchers
"Hispanics have more deaths from diabetes and chronic liver disease than whites, and similar numbers of deaths from kidney disease" (CDC, 2015). Even though the percentage of Hispanics suffering from high blood pressure is 17% in comparison to 20% of whites. Hispanics are 68% who suffer from poorly controlled high blood pressure compared to whites which are 54%. Health risks may vary among Hispanic subgroups and whether they are US born or not. Lower death rate is suffered by the Hispanic than whites.
During the first half of the 20th century, we have noticed that infectious diseases have declined in the United States, and chronic diseases have replaced them as the leading cause of mortality. Cardiovascular disease is an example of such disease. Cardiovascular disease can occur from behavioral, psychosocial and environmental factors and we need to examine each of them closely, so we could fight this problem. Our main goal is to prevent the disease, reduce any disability and prolong the life.
Millions of Americans are living with hypertension. Collaboration of patients and providers to control the disease can help prevent life-threatening illnesses. Patient perceptions pertaining to an illness or disease can dictate one’s health behaviors, yet little attention has been directed toward the perceptions of Mexican American adults in relation to hypertension. Although hypertension is most prevalent among African Americans, Hispanics have higher rates of mortality due to poverty, cultural barriers, and customs affecting modifiable risk factors, prevention, and treatment. Without the proper treatment, many hypertensive patients may face devastating complications, including myocardial infarction, kidney failure, and blindness.
A research performed by Loma Linda, California determined that Hispanic Americans hold several expectations of their healthcare providers and this include their nurses as well (Manfred, Mcfadden & Belliard, 2006). One of the major difference between the Hispanic outlooks of health is, the holistic approach which cover the spiritual, physical, moral and emotional aspects inside one’s life.
As the Latino population continues to grow the chances of a medical professional providing assistance also rises. According to recent surveys and studies, “A frequent challenge for many Hispanic patients is describing the degree of their pain and discomfort to healthcare providers” (Erickson A., 2006). One of the most important aspects of treating patients is being able to be understood and having the patient comprehend their condition. Anderson et al. (2003) conducted a survey which reported that 39% of Latinos had communication problems with their physician: they felt that their doctor did not listen to everything they had said, they did not understand the doctor and they had questions but did not ask them. Moreover, current trends show common disparities amongst the population. Centers for Disease Control (2015) say Hispanics are more susceptible to suffer from the following: obesity , diabetes , periodontitis , and more likely to have unchecked HIV in
Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, is a disorder that affects the heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death of most ethnicities in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Whites. For American Indians or Alaska Natives and Asian or Pacific Islanders, heart disease is the second leading death. Although heart disease is often thought of as a problem for men, more women than men die of heart disease each year.
According to survey findings of African Americans in 2001, nearly one-third of the African Americans were insured during this year, 59% of nonelderly adults were less likely to have job based insurance as compared to 70% white. Lack of insurance reflects wide income disparities: 50% of African Americans compared with 30 percent whites report annual income at poverty level (below 200%). Having a regular doctor is important for quality care but 28% of blacks reported that they don’t have a regular doctor as compared to 19% white. Lack of a regular doctor can also result to less preventative care; 43% blacks had physical examination as compared to 62% whites. Blacks are more likely to report chronic diseases than adults overall (51% black vs 45% for all adults). Although the chronic disease increases with age for all population, blacks have higher rates of chronic disease by age 50. Blacks were generally above national averages for diagnosis of high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. For example, 33% of African Americans diagnosed with high blood pressure compared to 23% of adults overall. Reported tobacco use for Blacks were 20%, compared to 20% overall (Scott). This population is behind on many health fronts because of poverty and lack of education. “Interestingly, older Blacks, still use folk and traditional therapies. Most of these therapies are hypoglycemic agents and can also be toxic. One
Cardiovascular disease is an epidemic that is afflicting this great nation. It makes up 42% of all deaths, and CVD, principally coronary artery disease and stroke, is the nation’s leading killer for both men and women among all racial and ethnic groups. However, CVD affects one part of the population in an incredibly serious manner. This section is the African American community, and among blacks age 20 and over, 40.5% of men and 39.6% of women are affected by CVD. General practitioners need to focus on the causal biologic and social factors, such as background, heritage, and diet that add to the disparity in the prevalence of CVD in the black community. As well as, efforts to boost consciousness about the associations between lifestyle choices and cardiovascular outcomes must be strengthened and expanded. This multi-tiered approach is the only way to combat this killer, and salvage the lives our the African American people.
Trends pertinent to coronary heart disease in the United States are presented, as well as mortality and prognostic perspectives. Information from this article would be of value as a source of other important adjunct material that could be reported.
The study evaluated cardiovascular disease rates for middle-aged men from Japan, Hawaii, and California in order to eliminate age, genetics, and gender variables. The researchers selected these men because the United States had the highest amount of heart disease and Japan the lowest, this group would eliminate most variables so the focus would be on lifestyle and environmental effects. The results reflected heart disease existed more in the Japanese-American men than the men from Japan, and more men died from the disease that lived in California, but interestingly more men from Japan suffer strokes. The rate of the disease slowly affected the men from Japan, but the men from California displayed higher risks, and a more drastic increase of the disease during the years evaluated; the disconnection from the mainland helped Hawaii to deliver healthier results than California, but worse than Japan. Men living in California weigh the most, and due to the statistics of height not varying that means the Californian men are the most overweight, and being overweight is the number one cause of having cardiovascular disease. The Japanese-American men also had higher blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, all of which increase the risk of getting the disease. Differences between their diets account for the
Livingston, G., Minushkin, S., & Cohn, D. (2008). Hispanics and health care in the United States: Access, information and knowledge. Retrieved June 15, 2010 from
The older generation of Mexican-Americans face many systemic, social and cultural barriers when it comes to their health care needs. The systemic ones are more challenging as many are due to policies and the complexity of the US health care system (16), however, can be improved with knowledge and cultural