Cardiovascular Health in Indigenous groups
Hi everyone! Welcome back to this week’s blog! In the past week I have finished up with the research portion of my project. I have also finished on writing my paper which is a systematic review on all of the articles and books I have so far. I have also started working on my final presentation. One thing I am adding also is interviews with a few professors from ASU who focus on this topic. In this week’s blog, I will be talking about some background in cardiovascular health within indigenous groups.
. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States among racial and ethnic minority groups. More specifically, “Data from the Strong Heart Study cohort demonstrated that cardiovascular mortality was higher for AI(American Indian) populations compared to U.S. whites” (Hutchinson & Shin 2014, pg ). However, multiple studies show rates of increasing cardiovascular diseases among American Indian/ Alaskan Native populations in contrast to decreasing rates among the general population, emphasizing American Indian/ Alaskan Natives disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD). Obesity is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases contributing to coronary artery disease, hypertension, stroke, and heart failure. Native Americans with obesity are at increased risk of developing these conditions compared to those with a healthy weight. Several social determinants contribute to the elevated rates of obesity and CVD among Native Americans, including: socioeconomic disparities, limited access to healthy foods, historical trauma, genetic predisposition, and lifestyle factors such as sedentary behavior and unhealthy dietary patterns.