Resolution: S-21-28: RECOGNIZING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN AFRICAN AMERICANS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE

[Valerie Lile]

WHEREAS, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death for adults in the United States with 840,768 deaths in 2016 alone^{[1, 2]}; and

WHEREAS, even with continued national decline in mortality rates since for heart disease, rates for African Americans were still 20% higher for heart disease and 40% higher for stroke as compared to the white community ^[3]; now, therefore, be it

WHEREAS, African Americans face a greater burden of CVD; and

WHEREAS, it is believed that different causes may attribute to this outcome such as socioeconomic status, culture, genetics, and access to quality health care^[4], and

WHEREAS, studies have linked racism and race-related stress to cardiovascular health causing elevated elevated blood pressure in African Americans but not in Whites^[5]; and

WHEREAS, physicians have been found to have shorter medical visits and a weaker physician-patient dynamic with African Americans as compared to Whites with the same CVD risk factors^[6]; and

WHEREAS, the Prevention and Public Health Fund can provide grants to support and implement prevention initiatives and further surveillance to identify areas of need for public health issues^[7]; and

WHEREAS, a public health issue is a medical issue that affects a significant portion of a specific population^[8]; and

WHEREAS, an objective for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), iis to promote the public health; and now, therefore, it be

RESOLVED, the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) and American Osteopathic Association (AOA) recognize cardiovascular disease in African Americans as a public health issue; and, be it further

RESOLVED, identifying cardiovascular disease in African American populations as a public health issue will become the first step in the movement to advance research, equity, and justice in healthcare for a large minority population.

 

References

1. Gillespie, C. D., Wigington, C., Hong, Y., & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013). Coronary heart disease and stroke deaths – United States, 2009. MMWR supplements, 62(3), 157–160.

 

2. AHA 2019 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/ten-points-to-remember/2019/02/15/14/39/aha-2019-heart-disease-and-stroke-statistics

 

3. Mensah, G. A. (2018, November). Cardiovascular Diseases in African Americans: Fostering Community Partnerships to Stem the Tide. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6200348/#R3

 

4. Winham, D. M., & Jones, K. M. (2011). Knowledge of young African American adults about heart disease: a cross-sectional survey. BMC public health, 11, 248. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-248

 

5. Brewer, L. C., & Cooper, L. A. (2014, June 01). Race, Discrimination, and Cardiovascular Disease. Retrieved from https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/race-discrimination-and-cardiovascular-disease/2014-06

 

6. Cené, C.W., Roter, D., Carson, K.A. et al. (2009) The Effect of Patient Race and Blood Pressure Control on Patient-Physician Communication. J GEN INTERN MED 24, 1057–1064. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1051-4

 

7. Secretary, H. O., & Immediate Office of the Secretary (IOS). (2020, January 09). Prevention and Public Health Fund. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/open/prevention/index.html

 

8. Top Public Health Problems & Concerns: UNR Online Degree. (2020, November 10). Retrieved from https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/blog/top-public-health-problems-concerns-unr-online-degree/

 

Submitted by:

Alaa Alghalayini OMS III- Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

Marco Ciavaglia, OMS I – Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

Batoul Sadek OMS II- Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

 

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