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Fried chicken, macaroni cheese and cornbread can be delicious, but it's no secret that these foods can be harmful to your death. They could even be more detrimental to African Americans, according to a new report.
According to the results of a massive study, black boys worse than white boys in 99% of the United States
Researchers at the University of Alabama in Birmingham recently conducted a study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, to explore the reasons why African Americans could have a higher incidence of hypertension.
"Hypertension is the major factor in the racial disparity of cardiovascular disease," said lead author George Howard in a statement. "Preventing hypertension is a critical part of reducing health disparities in cardiovascular disease. This work identifies the factors contributing to the development of high blood pressure and their differences between African Americans and white Americans. "
To do this, they examined nearly 7,000 older adults from a previous study and followed them for a little over nine years, following their cholesterol level, blood pressure and body mass index before and after the test. Participants also answered questions about their health and completed questionnaires about their diet.
After analyzing the results, they found that blacks had higher early mortality rates than whites, as expected. However, they were surprised to learn of the South's fad diets, which may include fried fish, fried chicken, fried potatoes, sugary drinks and processed foods, seemed to be the culprit for them. men and black women.
In fact, the main reason African Americans were more likely to have high blood pressure was a southern diet, which could lead to heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.
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"This diet probably contributes to excessive blood pressure due to higher sodium intake, but it's impossible to guess which component of this diet fits the" quick fix ", said coauthor Suzanne Judd. "Probably, it could be all the foods eaten together." The combination of a high-sodium diet and an excess of calories from fats and sugars and a limited number of beneficial foods containing antioxidants, vitamins and minerals probably creates the perfect storm to make this diet less healthy. "
While salt intake and level of education were also key factors for both men and women, obesity and a larger waistline were additional key factors, particularly among women, according to the results.
"We know that obesity is related to the development of hypertension in men and women, but we did not know that it contributed differently in men and women to racial difference than men." Hypertension, "said Howard.
We now know that obesity helps to explain racial disparities between black and white women. "
The authors hope that their findings will help guide efforts to reduce the additional "risk" of hypertension among African Americans.
"The best way to treat high blood pressure is to prevent it," Howard said. "This study highlights the lifestyle changes that can be made to reduce the black-and-white difference in hypertension, which in turn will reduce racial disparities in cardiovascular disease.
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