Many women don’t know that heart disease is the number one killer of women, and many Latinas don’t know that they are especially at risk.
According to a study conducted by the American Heart Association, Hispanics have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than Caucasians and are less aware of their cardiovascular risk factors. Among Mexican Americans 20 and older, 77.5 percent of men and 75.1 percent of women are overweight or obese. A staggering 30.7 percent of Mexican American women have cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Noel Bairey Merz, the medical director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute says,“the higher rate of death is more related to healthcare access and coverage.”
She also believes language barriers, lack of education, and income are significant factors. “The more educated and the more affluent, the better their health,” she says. READ MORE
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