Blacks and Chronic Diseases
Blacks suffer disproportionately from ‘chronic diseases’ that are noninfectious medical conditions with persistent negative effects that can be both disabling and result in premature death.
Chronic diseases are long-lasting or recurring conditions that can be prevented, managed, reversed, but in many instances not cured; they are generally caused by risk factors that’s genetic, behavioral, socioeconomic, or environmental.
Current Top 10 Leading Causes of Death Among Blacks
“The more than 40 million African Americans who live in the U.S. carry a disproportionate share of the nation’s sickness burden. Sociologist David R. Williams, who has written extensively about the black-white health disparity, has repeatedly shown that African Americans not only have higher rates of sickness than Whites, but they also get sick earlier, have more severe diseases, and are more likely to die from their diseases (Williams and Sternthal, 2010; Williams, 2012; Williams and Mohammed, 2013). Black people have higher rates of death than Whites for 13 of the 15 leading causes of death.” – Shirley Hill
1. Heart Disease (226.2 per 100,00 deaths)
*According to the ‘Center for Disease Control’ Black Americans were 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than white Americans; heart disease develops at a younger age in Black women and men than in white adults.
2. Cancer (167.4 per 100,000 deaths deaths)
*According to the ‘Centers from for Disease Control’ Black and white women are diagnosed with breast cancer at about the same rate, Black women are 40 percent more likely to die from the disease. Black men are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer and two and a half times as likely to die from stomach cancer as white men.
3. COVID-19 (136.4 226.2 per 100,000 deaths)
*According to the ‘National Institute of Health’ Blacks are more likely than white Americans to have symptoms of post-COVID syndrome ‘covid long hauler’. Post COVID Syndrome includes general symptoms as well as respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, digestive, and other symptoms.
4. Accidents/Injuries (79.6 per 100,000 deaths)
*Research shows that during 2020-2022 Blacks died over twice the rate of whites from COVID-19. According to the ‘National Safety Council’ Blacks experience a passenger vehicle fatality rate 73% higher than non-Hispanic whites; Blacks experience a pedestrian (walking) death rate 118% higher than whites.
5. Stroke (59.6 per 100,000 deaths)
*According to the ‘Office of Minority Health’ Blacks are 50 percent more likely to have a stroke (cerebrovascular disease), as compared to their white adult counterparts. Black men are 70 percent more likely to die from a stroke as compared to whites.
6. Diabetes (46.3 per 100,000 deaths)
*According to the ‘Office of Minority Health’ Blacks were 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician. Blacks were 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
7. Homicides (33.7 per 100,000 deaths)
*Current data shows that Black Americans are 10 times more likely than whites to die by gun homicide; 58% of all people killed in firearm homicides are Black; Black communities are disproportionately impacted by gun violence; Black people are nearly three times more likely to be shot and killed by police than white Americans.
8. Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease ‘CLRD' (27.9 per 100,000 deaths)
*CLRD consists of Bronchitis, Emphysema, and Asthma, according to the Office of Minority Health Blacks were almost three times more likely to die from asthma than whites; Black children had a death rate 7.6 times that of white children.
9. Kidney Disease (26.5% per 100,000 deaths)
*According to the ‘National Kidney Foundation’ Blacks are more than 3 times likely to have kidney failure compared to White Americans.
10. Alzheimer’s Disease (29.4 per 100,000 deaths age 65 and older)
*According to the ‘National Institute of Health’ 18.6% of Blacks are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease compared to just 10% of White Americans. Blacks ages 70 and older, 21.3% are living with Alzheimer's.
Blacks suffer disproportionately from ‘chronic diseases’ that are noninfectious medical conditions with persistent negative effects that can be both disabling and result in premature death.
Chronic diseases are long-lasting or recurring conditions that can be prevented, managed, reversed, but in many instances not cured; they are generally caused by risk factors that’s genetic, behavioral, socioeconomic, or environmental.
Current Top 10 Leading Causes of Death Among Blacks
“The more than 40 million African Americans who live in the U.S. carry a disproportionate share of the nation’s sickness burden. Sociologist David R. Williams, who has written extensively about the black-white health disparity, has repeatedly shown that African Americans not only have higher rates of sickness than Whites, but they also get sick earlier, have more severe diseases, and are more likely to die from their diseases (Williams and Sternthal, 2010; Williams, 2012; Williams and Mohammed, 2013). Black people have higher rates of death than Whites for 13 of the 15 leading causes of death.” – Shirley Hill
1. Heart Disease (226.2 per 100,00 deaths)
*According to the ‘Center for Disease Control’ Black Americans were 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than white Americans; heart disease develops at a younger age in Black women and men than in white adults.
2. Cancer (167.4 per 100,000 deaths deaths)
*According to the ‘Centers from for Disease Control’ Black and white women are diagnosed with breast cancer at about the same rate, Black women are 40 percent more likely to die from the disease. Black men are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer and two and a half times as likely to die from stomach cancer as white men.
3. COVID-19 (136.4 226.2 per 100,000 deaths)
*According to the ‘National Institute of Health’ Blacks are more likely than white Americans to have symptoms of post-COVID syndrome ‘covid long hauler’. Post COVID Syndrome includes general symptoms as well as respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, digestive, and other symptoms.
4. Accidents/Injuries (79.6 per 100,000 deaths)
*Research shows that during 2020-2022 Blacks died over twice the rate of whites from COVID-19. According to the ‘National Safety Council’ Blacks experience a passenger vehicle fatality rate 73% higher than non-Hispanic whites; Blacks experience a pedestrian (walking) death rate 118% higher than whites.
5. Stroke (59.6 per 100,000 deaths)
*According to the ‘Office of Minority Health’ Blacks are 50 percent more likely to have a stroke (cerebrovascular disease), as compared to their white adult counterparts. Black men are 70 percent more likely to die from a stroke as compared to whites.
6. Diabetes (46.3 per 100,000 deaths)
*According to the ‘Office of Minority Health’ Blacks were 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician. Blacks were 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
7. Homicides (33.7 per 100,000 deaths)
*Current data shows that Black Americans are 10 times more likely than whites to die by gun homicide; 58% of all people killed in firearm homicides are Black; Black communities are disproportionately impacted by gun violence; Black people are nearly three times more likely to be shot and killed by police than white Americans.
8. Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease ‘CLRD' (27.9 per 100,000 deaths)
*CLRD consists of Bronchitis, Emphysema, and Asthma, according to the Office of Minority Health Blacks were almost three times more likely to die from asthma than whites; Black children had a death rate 7.6 times that of white children.
9. Kidney Disease (26.5% per 100,000 deaths)
*According to the ‘National Kidney Foundation’ Blacks are more than 3 times likely to have kidney failure compared to White Americans.
10. Alzheimer’s Disease (29.4 per 100,000 deaths age 65 and older)
*According to the ‘National Institute of Health’ 18.6% of Blacks are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease compared to just 10% of White Americans. Blacks ages 70 and older, 21.3% are living with Alzheimer's.