00:00So, Dr. Ferdinand, this question is to you. Why does high blood pressure disproportionately affect
00:07communities of color? Well, first of all, the Association of Black Cardiologists is so pleased
00:14to be a component of the Release the Pressure Coalition. We're addressing heart disease and
00:19stroke, which is the number one cause of death for all Americans, and that includes Black women.
00:25Now, in terms of your question, why more high blood pressure in this population?
00:30Well, there's a lot of factors. One is age. As we get older, our vessels get stiffer,
00:34and the blood pressure tends to elevate. Increased body mass, overweight and obesity,
00:39also increases blood pressure. High salt and low potassium. Potassium is found mainly in fresh
00:46fruits and vegetables. Diabetes and chronic kidney disease, which are unfortunately more common in
00:52Black women, also increases blood pressure. And in fact, the rates of hypertension is the number one
00:59cause for heart disease and stroke in the Black community. And among Black women, it almost
01:04removes the protective effect of being female. And then finally, we've already talked about stress,
01:10where you work, where you live. It's called the social determinants of health. As a profound effect,
01:16we often don't know how to control it. Meditation, relaxation response, aerobic activity,
01:22walking, cycling, working in the garden, working around the home. There are various means by which
01:28we can attempt to address stress, but that's part of the gumbo, the mixture of factors that increases the
01:34risk for hypertension.
01:45you
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