Why You Should Care

• Heart disease is the number one killer of women overall, but a staggering 49% of Black women over age 20 have heart disease
• Cardiovascular disease kills nearly 50,000 Black women each year
• According to date from 2013-2016, 56% of Black women over 20 years of age had high blood pressure; and Black Americans tend to have high blood pressure at younger ages than other races
• Black women and men have a greater incidence of first stroke compared to White people–294 per 100,000 versus 179 per 100,000

WHAT IS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE?

Cardiovascular disease is a group of conditions affecting the heart and vascular system–hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary artery disease (heart attacks, angina), congestive heart failure, arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation), stroke, cardiac arrest and peripheral artery disease.

HOW CAN IT BE PREVENTED?

Go to the doctor–know your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar. Follow a low sodium diet and exercise.

HOW CAN WE HELP THE WOMEN WE LOVE?

Every year, The American Heart Association has a Go Red for Women day to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease in women. In 2020, that day was Friday, February 7th. While we as an organization worked to raise awareness, we also sought to raise $500 for The Black Women’s Health Imperative.