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African-American Women Twice as Likely as White Women to Die From Heart Disease

Aired August 27, 2003 - 06:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Some startling health news now. African-American women are twice as likely as white women to have or die from heart disease. But they're less likely to receive adequate medical care.
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here to tell us why.

DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, heart disease is the leading killer of all women in this country. But this new study finds that African-American women are twice as likely as white women to have heart disease, twice as likely to die from it, yet they're less likely to receive adequate medical treatment.

The African-American women in the study were less likely to have their blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. They were also less likely to receive other preventive treatments. They were 10 percent less likely to receive aspirin therapy and almost 30 percent less likely to receive cholesterol lowering medications.

The researchers used data from the HERP study, a large trial that looked at over 2,500 women with heart disease and followed them for more than four years. Eight percent of the women were African- American.

Now, this study is the first to look at quality of medical treatment, risk factor control and outcome simultaneously, but it's not the first time we've heard about disparities in health care. Just last year, the Institute of Medicine released a report finding that minorities receive lower quality health care than whites, even when insurance status, income, age and severity of condition are all the same. The committee also found that disparities in health care were associated with worse outcomes and higher death rates in minorities.

COSTELLO: Well, you hate to think, though, that doctors would treat someone differently because of the color of their skin. I mean why exactly is this happening?

FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, that's the big question, and it's not that easy to explain the differences. The African-American women in the study seemed just as compliant as the white women when it came to follow-up visits and taking their study medications. The African- American women did have higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, so poorer control of risk factors may account for part of the difference.

But it's not clear if this under treatment is the fault of the patients or their physicians.

Nevertheless, doctors need to take heed of these results. The next step is to focus on ways to narrow these gaps in health care and that way everyone, no matter what their color, has the best chance for a good outcome.

COSTELLO: Yes.

Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, many thanks this morning.

We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Die From Heart Disease>


Aired August 27, 2003 - 06:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Some startling health news now. African-American women are twice as likely as white women to have or die from heart disease. But they're less likely to receive adequate medical care.
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here to tell us why.

DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, heart disease is the leading killer of all women in this country. But this new study finds that African-American women are twice as likely as white women to have heart disease, twice as likely to die from it, yet they're less likely to receive adequate medical treatment.

The African-American women in the study were less likely to have their blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. They were also less likely to receive other preventive treatments. They were 10 percent less likely to receive aspirin therapy and almost 30 percent less likely to receive cholesterol lowering medications.

The researchers used data from the HERP study, a large trial that looked at over 2,500 women with heart disease and followed them for more than four years. Eight percent of the women were African- American.

Now, this study is the first to look at quality of medical treatment, risk factor control and outcome simultaneously, but it's not the first time we've heard about disparities in health care. Just last year, the Institute of Medicine released a report finding that minorities receive lower quality health care than whites, even when insurance status, income, age and severity of condition are all the same. The committee also found that disparities in health care were associated with worse outcomes and higher death rates in minorities.

COSTELLO: Well, you hate to think, though, that doctors would treat someone differently because of the color of their skin. I mean why exactly is this happening?

FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, that's the big question, and it's not that easy to explain the differences. The African-American women in the study seemed just as compliant as the white women when it came to follow-up visits and taking their study medications. The African- American women did have higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, so poorer control of risk factors may account for part of the difference.

But it's not clear if this under treatment is the fault of the patients or their physicians.

Nevertheless, doctors need to take heed of these results. The next step is to focus on ways to narrow these gaps in health care and that way everyone, no matter what their color, has the best chance for a good outcome.

COSTELLO: Yes.

Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, many thanks this morning.

We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Die From Heart Disease>