- 6 days ago
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00:00All right. I would like to introduce you to our doctors. We have Dr. Patrice Harris,
00:11immediate past president, American Medical Association.
00:16Hi. Good to be with you today.
00:18Thank you, Dr. Harris. It's good to have you. We also have Dr. Keith Ferdinand,
00:23past board chair and chair of the Access Initiative Association of Black Cardiologists.
00:31Hi. Hi, Dr. Ferdinand. Nice to have you. We also have Dr. Eduardo Sanchez,
00:40Chief Medical Officer for Prevention, American Heart Association.
00:46Hi. Good to be here. Thank you. Hi, Dr. Sanchez.
00:49We have Dr. Yolanda Lawson, Chair Board of Trustees, National Medical.
00:57Hello, Dr. Lawson.
00:59Hello. How's everyone?
01:02Great. And we have Dr. Janet S. Wright, MDFACC, Director of Science and Policy, Office of the Surgeon General.
01:13Hi, Sherry. Delighted to be with you today.
01:16Thank you for being with us, Dr. Wright.
01:18It is my distinct pleasure to moderate a very important conversation.
01:24Release the pressure. The state of the health in the Black community.
01:28Now, we've all seen the headlines and been watching the news over the last few months.
01:32The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting our community at an alarming rate.
01:38And let's not forget the systemic racism and many stressors of being Black in America.
01:43This has been a really difficult and trying time for our people.
01:47So our health, especially our heart health, is more important than ever.
01:53And I'm speaking, this, I have to say, is a particularly important issue to me because I am a Black woman.
02:02I am a diabetic and my blood pressure is through the roof.
02:08I have anxiety 24-7 because I'm dealing with two pandemics.
02:13I'm dealing with the pandemic of COVID-19 and being quarantined.
02:17So that is sending my blood pressure up.
02:20I'm also a woman who has a 15-year-old Black son with special needs.
02:27And every day I'm fearful and anxious just when he goes out to walk the dogs of, is he going to come back alive?
02:36So I'm dealing with so much and I'm excited to be here to talk to the doctors about how to fight stress because my heart health is so important to me.
02:48And I want to know how to keep it healthy because my son is depending on me.
02:53So thank you for allowing me to moderate this panel.
02:57And I'm excited to say that I am joined by representatives of the Release the Pressure Heart Health Squad.
03:04This power-packed coalition brings together the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association Foundation, the Association of Black Cardiologists, the Minority Health Institute, and the National Medical Association, all with the goal of helping Black women and their squads improve their heart health.
03:31So this is very exciting.
03:32Welcome.
03:34Welcome, doctors.
03:34Welcome.
03:35Welcome, doctors.
03:35My first question is to Dr. Harris.
03:40I want to ask you, in light of the COVID-19 and ongoing violence against the Black community,
03:46why is it more important than ever to protect your heart health?
03:51Well, Sherry, first of all, thank you very much for sharing your story, right?
03:54because you are sharing the lived experience of so many, particularly so many black women
04:01who are dealing with the day-to-day stressors that you mentioned. And of course, that was
04:08pre-COVID. And now that we are in the midst of this COVID pandemic, and we are in the midst of
04:15some acute instances regarding police violence, all of these are added stressors, again, that were
04:26existing pre-COVID-19 and have just been exacerbated with all that's going on right now.
04:34And it's so important that we name and identify these stressors, the issues around structural and
04:41racial inequities, again, that were in existence before COVID-19, so that we can move forward and
04:50try to identify solutions in an action plan. And that's why we are here today to talk about this
04:56wonderful campaign of Release the Pressure. You know, black women don't always think about heart
05:03health, but we experience heart disease and high blood pressure 40% more than white women. And
05:1180% of African Americans in this country who have high blood pressure don't have their blood
05:17pressure under control. So this is a very important conversation and the American Medical Association
05:22is proud to be a part of this partnership. Well, Dr. Harris, I'm so glad that you are taking the time
05:31to share with us because this is so important. Because if we're not here, the entire house of cards
05:36will fall. So thank you. So Dr. Ferdinand, this question is to you. Why does high blood pressure
05:46disproportionately affect communities of color? Well, first of all, the Association of Black
05:53Cardiologists is so pleased to be a component of the Release the Pressure Coalition. We're addressing
05:59heart disease and stroke, which is the number one cause of death for all Americans, and that includes
06:04black women. Now, in terms of your question, why more high blood pressure in this population?
06:10Well, there's a lot of factors. One is age. As we get older, our vessels get stiffer, and the blood
06:16pressure tends to elevate. Increased body mass, overweight and obesity also increases blood pressure.
06:22High salt and low potassium. Potassium is found mainly in fresh fruits and vegetables. Diabetes and
06:30chronic kidney disease, which are unfortunately more common in black women, also increases blood
06:35pressure. And in fact, the rates of hypertension is the number one cause for heart disease and
06:41stroke in the black community. And among black women, it almost removes the protective effect
06:46of being female. And then finally, we've already talked about stress, where you work, where you live.
06:52It's called the social determinants of health. It has a profound effect. We often don't know how to
06:59control it. Meditation, relaxation response, aerobic activity, walking, cycling, working in the garden,
07:06working around the home. There are various means by which we can attempt to address stress,
07:10but that's part of the gumbo, the mixture of factors that increases the risk for hypertension.
07:17So, Dr. Ferdinand, you just told me, I'm old, I'm big, no salt, I don't eat enough bananas,
07:27and I hate my job. It's tough. You can decrease sodium. You can increase potassium. You can do the
07:37relaxation response meditation prayer. You can increase the activity. And then finally, if you
07:44need medication, take the doggone pills. The medicines have been shown in what we call clinical
07:50trials to lower the blood pressure, decrease strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and chronic
07:55kidney disease. So, if you need the medicine, take the doggone medicine.
07:59All right, Dr. Ferdinand. So, for all of us out there who are saying, I'm getting off the medication
08:04in faith, stay with the medication. We have to talk to our doctor. Don't just jump off the medication
08:10because you get a good Sunday service. You want to throw those pills away. Stay on the medication.
08:15Thank you, Dr. Ferdinand. My next question is to Dr. Sanchez. Dr. Sanchez, what are the health impacts
08:25of uncontrolled high blood pressure? Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a bad thing.
08:31And it can lead to, we'll start at the end and work our way in the other direction. The worst thing
08:36is it can cause premature death. African-Americans have a much higher likelihood of dying of cardiovascular
08:43disease and stroke or stroke compared to others. Uncontrolled high blood pressure contributes
08:51to both of those things. And then when you work your way backwards, other things that
08:58uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause are heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and they can
09:05contribute to kidney failure. So, it's critically important to control blood pressure. And as Dr.
09:11Ferdinand said, there are many, many ways to do so. We have many, many arrows in the quiver to get it
09:20done. And it's critically important that clinicians, doctors, and their team, and patients get together
09:29to control blood pressure, to control these bad things that can be averted. It is possible to avert them
09:38by getting blood pressure under control. Dr. Sanchez, thank you so much. You talk about aversion
09:45and we can actually stop the high, the uncontrolled high blood pressure. And there are things that we
09:51need to do, which leads me to my next question with Dr. Lawson. How can we collectively improve our health
09:58through preventative care? Thank you. So, most of us have heard that early detection saves lives.
10:08It is always best to prevent sickness. We all know that preventive health care services are
10:14underutilized, but they're important. And let me share with you three reasons why. First, preventive
10:20care allows for detection of risk factors for disease. Secondly, intervening before disease occurs. And
10:29lastly, early detection and early management of that disease process if it has occurred. We must
10:38acknowledge our own unhealthy habits. If you smoke, quit. If you don't exercise, then start. And if you
10:45have not had an annual physical exam, then I encourage you to go. Lastly, become an active participant in your
10:53health, such as home blood pressure monitoring and sharing those numbers with your health care
10:59provider. And lastly, go that extra mile and encourage your squad to do the same.
11:03Thank you so much, Dr. Lawson. We're excited to say we have a special guest joining our Release the
11:10Pressure Heart Health Squad panelist, Dr. Janet Wright. Now, Dr. Wright is the Director of Science and
11:16Policy Office of the Surgeon General. Welcome to our panel, Dr. Wright.
11:21Thank you so much, Terri. I'm the one who feels special to get to join today and to celebrate the
11:27Release the Pressure Campaign. Thank you. We are so glad to have you. So I want to ask you,
11:32how is the federal government contributing to or working to improve blood pressure control?
11:38The Assistant Secretary oversees the development and release of guidelines for nutrition, the dietary
11:46guidelines, as well as those for physical activity. And then in the Office of the Surgeon General, we'll
11:53soon be releasing a call to action, working with you all and others to make high blood pressure control
11:59a national priority. What would the country look like if we all, individuals, communities, organizations
12:08in the private sector, and the federal government put our shoulders behind the idea of achieving high rates
12:14of blood pressure control everywhere and for everyone. Absolutely. And so you're looking,
12:22is there specifically a view towards African Americans as we're talking about, as it disproportionately affects us?
12:32Yes, I can tell you that the Office of Minority Health in the Department of Health and Human Service
12:37has created this focus and will be releasing things soon in that regard.
12:44They've recently funded Morehouse to develop a repository and disseminate information,
12:51culturally sensitive and competent information out through working with other organizations that
12:56are embedded in communities around the country. Thank you so much, Dr. Wright. It's nice to know that
13:02the government is looking at us and trying to help us control our blood pressure. So thank you for that.
13:07I have one final question, and this is to Dr. Harris. We've been talking about release the pressure
13:14campaign. All of the doctors have mentioned this. Would you please share about the release the pressure
13:20campaign?
13:21Very exciting campaign. The release the pressure campaign is a partnership with AMA and Essence and all
13:29of my colleagues that you see here representing organizations who are part of this coalition.
13:38And the most important partner here is Black women. Black women and our squads. And this partnership
13:45wants and encourages Black women to put a focus on our heart health and to monitor and manage our
13:52blood pressure. And so we are asking Black women to do five things. First, again, is set a blood pressure
13:59goal. As you heard Dr. Lawson say, that will be individual. So work with your physician to set a
14:04blood pressure goal. Monitor your blood pressure at home. Develop a personal wellness plan. And check in
14:12with your squad. We all need a squad and that is so important. And finally, everyone in our squad,
14:19all Black women, should go to Essence.com forward slash release the pressure and take the pledge.
14:28I know I took the pledge and I encourage everyone to go and take the pledge.
14:34Thank you so much, Dr. Harris. And I just want to say thank you so much for joining the release the
14:40pressure heart health squad, American Medical Association, American Heart Association, American
14:47Medical Association Foundation, the Association of Black Cardiologists, Minority Health Institute,
14:55and National Medical Association. Ladies, I am speaking to you. This is the time for us to take
15:02control of our heart health for ourselves and our families. We have to do this now. We have to do this
15:08today. It's so important. We're going through so much. And as you know, everyone says if something
15:14happens and the mask falls down, you got to put it on your face first because if you don't save
15:18yourselves, you can't save anybody else. So everyone is depending on us and we've got to take control
15:24of our heart health. We've got to get our blood pressure under control. So join and pledge with your
15:29squad. Go to www.essence.com slash release the pressure to take the pledge and join us to be a part of a
15:41healthy blood pressure movement. Thank you so much.
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