There’s a lot that scientists already know about stroke risk for Black Americans.
Blacks, for example, are nearly
However, researchers say there has been little data on what role smoking plays in stroke risk for Black Americans.
Now, a
The research, partially funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), concluded that the risk of stroke may more than double for Black Americans who smoke.
Researchers add the risk gets higher with the number of cigarettes that are smoked.
“The more you smoke, the more you stroke,” saidDr. Adebamike Oshunbade, MPH, the study’s lead author and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. “If you smoke more than a pack a day, your risk is even greater.”
The research team used data from participants in the Jackson Heart Study, the largest study in the United States looking at cardiovascular risk factors in Black Americans.
Of the group they evaluated, 546 participants were current smokers. Another 781 were past smokers and 3,083 had never smoked.
After accounting for other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, age, and high cholesterol, the researchers found that the stroke risk was 2.5 times higher for current smokers compared with people who never smoked.
Researchers also found the risk was “dose dependent.” For those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day, their stroke risk was 2.8 times greater.
However, the scientists found there was no significant difference between smokers who had quit and people who had never smoked. The researchers say that suggestssmoking cessationmay have potential benefits in reducing the incidence of stroke in Black Americans.
“vulnera的风险沟通是很重要的ble populations, especially with the growing popularity of new tobacco products,” Oshunbade told Healthline. “More public enlightenment campaigns should be geared toward warning African Americans about this modifiable risk.”
Ultrasound imaging tests also showed fatty plaque buildup in the carotid arteries leading to the brains of Black Americans.
“We found accelerated buildup of fatty plaques in some of the major blood vessels of the brains of smokers, which could play a role in the development of stroke among African Americans,” Oshunbade explained.
Hypertension, diabetes, age, obesity, and lack of exercise arestroke risk factorsyou’ve likely heard about.
But experts say socioeconomic risk factors are also crucial and too often disproportionately affect communities of color.
“One of them is decreased access to healthcare,” saidDr. George P. Teitelbaum, an interventional neuroradiologist and director of the Pacific Stroke and Aneurysm Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
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They’re also less likely to get preventive care and have a regular physician.
“Another is air pollution. It has been reported in
According to the American Lung Association’s 2020“空气”报告, more than 14 million people of color in the United States live where they’re subjected to both short-term and year-long air pollution.
The locations are often near industrial districts and affect Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and African Americans.
“Stroke is also increased with heavy alcohol use. There are a number of liquor stores per square mile in poorer neighborhoods,” Teitelbaum added.
He also pointed to the lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income Black communities, areas often referred to as food deserts. He said that can contribute to obesity.
There are things you can’t change, including your age, race, and family history.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you can help prevent stroke by
These include:
- choosing a healthy diet
- maintaining a healthy weight for your body
- staying active
- not smoking
- limiting alcohol intake