Heart Disease and Black Women: Risk Factors, Prevention Strategies
Risks include hypertension, obesity, family history
Risks include hypertension, obesity, family history
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Black women are disproportionally affected. Understanding risks factors and prevention strategies can help save many lives.
“Many African American women aren’t even aware that they are at risk, which is why education is so important,” says Poulina Uddin, MD, a cardiologist at Scripps Clinic. “There is a lot you can do to protect your heart.”
Healthy living, regular checkups and medications (if appropriate), can help reduce your risk.
“Early intervention is possible, for example, when you know there is heart disease in your family history and can share that information with your physician,” Dr. Uddin adds.
Why Black women have higher heart disease risk
Heart disease and cardiovascular disease are often used interchangeably. Both refer to a range of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels.
Black women are at greater risk for heart disease than women in other racial groups. This is due to a combination of factors, including:
- Higher rates of conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes
- Barriers to preventing and ongoing care
- Social and environmental stressors that can make it harder to maintain heart-healthy habits
According to the American Heart Association (AHA):
- Nearly 60% of Black adults (20+) have some form of cardiovascular disease (including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke or hypertension), compared with about 49% of all U.S. adults.
- Stroke prevalence is highest among Black women (5.4%) and Black men (4.8%), compared with all women (2.9%) and all men (3.6%).
- 58.4% of Black women and 57.5% of Black men have high blood pressure, among the highest rates worldwide.
- Black adults account for over half of heart failure hospitalizations among U.S. adults under age 50, highlighting a heavy burden at younger ages.
- Heart disease accounts for over one-third of maternal deaths. Black women have some of the highest maternal mortality rates.
Common heart disease risk factors in Black women
Many risk factors for heart disease and stroke are prevalent among Black women, including:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Physical inactivity
- Being overweight
- Family history of heart disease
“A history of heart disease in your family doesn’t mean you will have heart problems, but it does mean you are at greater risk than others and need to change any behavior that raises your risk,” Dr. Uddin says.
The good news is that many of these risk factors can be improved through lifestyle changes and preventive care — especially when you know what to look for and take action early.
How to prevent heart disease: Steps that work
If you are at risk for heart disease, consider making heart-healthy choices.
- Avoid smoking. Quitting significantly lowers the risk of heart disease.
- Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables to support heart health.
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight to reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Keep your blood pressure in a healthy range through regular monitoring and management.
These changes don’t have to happen all at once. Small, consistent steps can make a meaningful difference — and your doctor can help you choose goals that fit your health history and lifestyle.
Know your numbers for heart health
Staying on top of routine health screenings can help you catch risks early and address them sooner.
- Manage blood sugar: Ask your doctor about A1C screening
- Know your cholesterol: Talk with your provider about lipid screening and how it affects heart risk
- Check your blood pressure: High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke
How access to care and stress affect heart health
Beyond individual risk factors, social and economic factors can increase the risk of heart disease for African Americans. Things like income, access to health care and the environment people live in can affect heart health. They can also make it harder to manage chronic conditions or maintain long-term lifestyle and diet changes.
When access to care is limited, conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol may go undiagnosed or untreated for longer periods. This make preventive care especially important.
Heart attack symptoms in women
Women often present with different symptoms of heart disease compared to men.
Chest pain or discomfort is the most common sign of a heart attack for men and women. However, women often have other symptoms. These can include shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea and pain in the back or jaw. These symptoms might not seem serious at first, which can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Uddin, a member of the heart team at the Scripps Women’s Heart Center, emphasizes the importance of physicians with expertise in women’s heart health.
“By partnering with a physician who understands the unique needs of women’s hearts and individual risk factors, women can get more appropriate heart care and disease prevention strategies,” she says.
What is the Scripps Women’s Heart Center?
Scripps Women’s Heart Center provides heart care for women, by women. Our female cardiologists are experts in cardiology and integrative medicine, and specialize in female heart disease. The center is dedicated to empowering women to take care of their hearts through education, lifestyle and, when needed, expert medical care.