Get the facts on heart disease in Black women
Posted February 21, 2022 by Dr. Grace Ayafor
Updated February 2025
You may have heard heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 killers in women. But did you know that cardiovascular disease, including stroke, disproportionately affects Black women?
It’s true. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 60 percent of Non-Hispanic Black women aged 20 and older have some form of cardiovascular disease. Black women have almost two times higher risk of stroke than Caucasians and are sadly more likely to die at an earlier age from cardiovascular disease when compared to other ethnicities.
There are well-known traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease. These include diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a family history of heart disease, which are all greatly prevalent among Black women. However, there are nontraditional risk factors for heart disease that also disproportionately affect Black women. Factors such as your neighborhood, perceived discrimination and racism, and chronic stress all increase your risk for heart disease. For example, according to the American College of Cardiology, Black women living in socially disenfranchised communities are three times more likely to have hypertension.
Sex-specific risk factors for heart disease, such as adverse pregnancy outcomes, also are more prevalent in Black women. These include hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, pre-term and small-for-gestational age births.
It is not all bad news; cardiovascular disease is still mostly preventable. As we celebrate American Heart Month in February, Summa Health sheds light on heart disease risk factors, warning signs for a heart attack or stroke, and steps you can take to keep your ticker going strong for the long haul.
Risk factors for heart disease and stroke
Most risk factors can be prevented or managed through heart-healthy choices, education and action. Risk factors you can control include:
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Physical inactivity
- Stress
Warning signs of a heart attack or stroke
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention right away. Common symptoms of a heart attack are:
- Chest discomfort, such as pressure, squeezing, “indigestion” or pain that can spread to your arms, neck or back
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Cold sweat
- Dizziness
Typical symptoms of a stroke include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion or trouble speaking
- Vision changes
- Dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache
7 ways to prevent heart disease
Lifestyle affects many of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke. In fact, women can lower their risk by as much as 82 percent simply by living a healthy lifestyle, according to the AHA. Take these 7 steps to lower your risk:
1. Know your numbers
Maintaining your heart-healthy numbers in a normal range plays a significant role in maintaining a strong heart. Critical heart-health numbers that should not be ignored include: blood pressure, cholesterol levels including lipoprotein(a), blood glucose and waist circumference.
2. Reduce salt intake
Researchers found that Black men and women may have a gene that makes them more sensitive to the effects of salt, which increases their risk for high blood pressure. Your daily sodium intake should be under 2,000 mg. Get a sense of what your daily sodium intake really is by paying attention to food labels. Reduce your sodium intake by limiting prepackaged and restaurant meals. It’s estimated more than 70 percent of sodium we consume is found in these foods. Decreasing your salt intake should help maintain a good blood pressure level, which is under 125/80.
3. Quit smoking
Chemicals in cigarette smoke can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. Studies show they are a major cause for coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks.
4. Exercise
Exercising is essential in managing stress, decreasing your blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight. The AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise (brisk walking, swimming or biking) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (running or aerobics) each week.
5. Shed excess weight
Being overweight puts a lot of strain on your heart, causing it to work harder. In fact, research shows extra belly fat correlates to higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Excess weight also increases your risk for diabetes, which can lead to heart disease.
6. Eat a heart healthy diet
Foods can contain healthy fats, which reduce your risk for heart disease, lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, and unhealthy fats, which clog arteries, cause weight gain and increase bad cholesterol. So, limit saturated fats, found in animal products (butter, red meats and dairy), and trans fats, found in prepackaged foods, margarines and fried fast foods. Instead, increase your intake of good fats that are found in salmon, nuts, seeds and vegetables. Also limit simple carbohydrates such breads and pasta, as this would help you lose weight.
7. Reduce stress
Keeping stress under control protects your heart. Stress increases cortisol, which can affect blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Plus, high stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking or overeating. Keep your stress in check with breathing exercises, meditation or even aromatherapy.
So, take your health to heart. Each step in the right direction not only can decrease your risk for heart disease, but also reduce your risk for other conditions and certain cancers.
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