A Racial Divide

And by the way, research is very clear that genetics is only small part of the reason for these terrible health disparities. Genetic research won't solve this by itself. Not as long as minorities are concentrated in places with bad air and water, limited opportunities for exercise, limited access to fresh, nutritious food, disproportionately poor, in low-paying, dangerous jobs where you can't even get time off when your sick, and all those other socio-economic reasons that our health gets so badly affected. An important reason is exactly what was described in this article, when you don't have insurance, you don't get check-ups or any preventive care. But its also because there is a LOT of institutional racism in the healthcare system itself. Our healthcare system is broken, but its most broken where peopel of color live. That is why we need to SPEAK UP!

Thank you so much for bringing attention to this national crisis. I am building a team to address the health and wellness of Black men. If anyone in the Atlanta area is interested please contact me. There is a lot of mis-information out there but the facts are the facts. When people know how to take care of themselves, their families and their communities, they will do better. Henrietta menonmondays@gmail.com

i think africans have had less interaction compared to eurasians or caucasians with other races and as such have less immunity and are both more vulnerable to slow viral infections -
the theory of most pathology including hypertension and heart failure could be attributed to a slow virus like a lot of diseases we find a mystery as yet and attribute to unknown causes -
the aids epidemic is so crucial in africa as their immunity was less effective than the eurasians and not because they were more promiscuous then an average anglosaxon -the same held for indigenious south american populace who are more vulnerable as they were exposed less to the racial interaction -
of course diet is another factor as africans consume more salt as well as are more prone to obesity and yet socio-economic factors are also quite vital as the poor are more susceptible to all diseases globally in comparison TO the affluent -abject but unfortunately true -the race angle might be true in that sense as africans are poorer compared to caucasian counterparts unless they are anomalies like jackson and oj simpson or the newly found AND DISCOVERED -OBAMAS

I know that I am going to be called racist for this comment but I have to comment on Surroundedbyidiots comment below. Stop blaming slavery for everything. I have read some of your other comments on other subjects and you always bring up how it is the white man against the black man. Now you want to tell everyone that the black community is suffering from heart disease/failure because of slavery. You say that the black community has poor health because "Today, many blacks are poor, and it's is harder to eat healthy when you are poor because many healthy foods are more expensive". I not only say this to you but all the white, brown, purple, whatever color people out there, a head of lettuce, some tomatoes and other veggies are cheaper than fast food, make the salad yourself it doesnt need to be premade and all those ingredients are sold at stores just like chicken, beef, vegetable oil and snack cakes. It may not be labeled organic but it is better than frying organic chicken.
stop looking at the past, blaming the past for problems of today. These issues can stopped if people start taking responsibility for themselves and taking care of themselves regardless of the situation. Can't afford whole, organic food? Then buy what you can afford, no says that the only healthy way to eat is organic. can't afford the gym? Take a walk in the park, play with your kids, take the stairs instead of the elevator. There are other answers to these problems.

The rate of hypertension is much lower in Africans. Why is that? I am sure what I believe is controversial, but I believe that some of the reasons are directly related to slavery. I know whenever you bring up the past, you are accused of race baiting, but the facts are the facts. I think one of the real culprits was the diet of high fat crap (chitterlings, meat scraps, etc.) that slaves were forced to eat. God knows how much salt they had to put in some of that slop to make it edible. Although they also ate a lot of chicken (because some masters let them have coops), most of the time it was fried because that kept better in the hot climate. Some slaves with extra nice masters were allowed to grow gardens, but that generally was not the case. And many studies have shown that blacks are more sensitive to sodium. I think the body of the early slave probably overreacted to the changes in diet after being brought here and over time genetic changes occurred. I think the constant stress of their lives also contributed to genetic changes. Today, many blacks are poor, and it's is harder to eat healthy when you are poor because many healthy foods are more expensive. Just as I am sure that poor whites are far less healthy than their wealthier counterpart. The fact that blacks are also more likely to be obese is definitely ia factor as well. In the black community, being "thick" is a good thing. Unfortunately, the "thickness" will probably become obesity with age. Per WebMD, blacks worldwide have lower rates of diabetes and hypertension than in the US, so that just lends more credibility to the environmental causes. Many blacks also do not have as much access to preventative care which also would explain higher rates of some preventable illnesses.

It's not just heart disease that blacks have a much higher rate compared to whites, just about all kinds of genetic diseases, lung issues/disease (all forms of asthma), mental issues/diseases, all kinds of new born problems, even just about all kinnds of cancers (w the exception of skin cancers) is much more lethal and dangerous in blacks compared to whites. But than again whites have the fewest health problems overall when compared to any other race, even Asians. Finally most of these issues will be resolved in about 10 to 15 years when we will have a much better understanding of genetics and how to cure most of these genetic imperfections...

There are more than one reason depending on the causes of heart failure: economics (poorly paid etc.), racism (classifying people by skin color etc.), diet (especially pig eating can clogg up the arteries etc.) etc.

What is Black and what is White? Realize, there are many so-called Blacks that are milky-white in my family. And when a person removes cows milk/cheese made from cows milk from their diet, the natural tan color starts kicking in. Those two mucous forming foods cause, us to lose color. My aunt Josephine was already light-skinned and ate so much of those foods she was really pale in her last days. Also, my husband Yosef was pale when I first met him. And he removed the cows milk/cheese made from cows milk from his diet that he since became handsomely tanned.
And check out Dr. Ehret's Mucusless Diet to get tanned and stay tanned. Note: You can also purchase cheese made from soy beans.

There are more than one reason depending on the causes of heart failure: economics (poorly paid etc.), racism (classifying people by skin color etc.), diet (especially pig eating can clogg up the arteries etc.) etc.

What is Black and what is White? Realize, there are many so-called Blacks that are milky-white in my family. And when a person removes cows milk/cheese made from cows milk from their diet, the natural tan color starts kicking in. Those two mucous forming foods cause, us to lose color. My aunt Josephine was already light-skinned and ate so much of those foods she was really pale in her last days. Also, my husband Yosef was pale when I first met him. And he removed the cows milk/cheese made from cows milk from his diet that he since became handsomely tanned.
And check out Dr. Ehret's Mucusless Diet to get tanned and stay tanned. Note: You can also purchase cheese made from soy beans.

We are a racially and ethnically diverse nation. All of the varieties of our people have different physical strengths and weaknesses. Bad health in anyone is harmful to a community and the nation. It is a public and social issue but the medical system to deal with it is still maintained too much in a private and exclusive manner. It is time to nationalize medicine and get off of the profit high horse when it comes to the health of the people who live here. The sad truth is that every dollar that is taken in insurance premiums that goes into someone's pocket instead of into treatment of someone who needs it is cruel in the strictest sense. Whoever responds to this saying that the alternative is to be treated by a postal worker needs to go into the corner and put on a pointed hat, the badge of a dunce. I am talking about putting enough resources into the system to be effective. It works in so many countries. Why not here?