“Did You Know?”

w Cardiovascular disease and stroke cause 40.1 percent of all American deaths -- 1 out of 2.5 deaths.

w More than 2,600 Americans die each day of cardiovascular disease, an average of 1 death every 33 seconds.

w African-Americans are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke death than Caucasians.

w Compared with Caucasians, young African-Americans have a two-to-three-fold greater risk of ischemic stroke (caused by a clogged blood vessel), and African-American men and women are more likely to die of stroke.

w The prevalence of hypertension in African-Americans in the United States is among the highest in the world.

w Compared with Caucasians, African-Americans develop high blood pressure at an earlier age, and their average blood pressure is much higher. As a result, African-Americans have a 1.5 times greater rate of heart disease deaths and a 1.8 times greater rate of fatal stroke.

w For non-Hispanic African-Americans age 20 and older, 36.7 percent of men and 36.6 percent of women have high blood pressure, a leading cause of stroke.

w African-Americans and Caucasians in the southeastern United States have a greater prevalence of high blood pressure and higher death rates from stroke than those in other regions of the country.

wAmong African-Americans, 45 percent of men and 46 percent of women have total blood cholesterol levels over 200 mg/dL.

w 68.3 percent of African-American women are overweight and 38.2 percent are obese. Among African-American men, 58.4 percent are overweight and 21.3 percent are obese.

w Physical inactivity is more prevalent among African-Americans than Caucasians. Among African-Americans, 46 percent of men and 57.1 percent of women are sedentary, with no leisure-time physical activity. African Americans are one of the least active groups in terms of overall physical activity.n