Dr. Nishant Vatsa is with Emory University and lead author on a recent study showing Black women face a high risk of developing heart disease at an early age. GPB s Ellen Eldridge reports.
Caption Young Black women have a number of risk factors that put them on a trajectory for developing heart disease at a young age, a study finds. These factors include a high prevalence of obesity, and elevated blood pressure. Credit: Unsplash
Researchers find an increased need for early intervention strategies to better educate people about the risks of heart disease after a study found a high prevalence of elevated blood pressure and obesity in young Black women.
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Young Black women show a high prevalence of obesity, elevated blood pressure and other lifestyle-related factors that may put them on a trajectory to develop heart disease at a young age, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology s 70th Annual Scientific Session.
While previous research has drawn attention to the burden of heart disease among Black women, the new study is unique in its focus on examining the age at which heart disease risk factors emerge in this population in a community setting. The researchers found high rates of lifestyle-linked risk factors among Black women as early as their 20s and 30s.