Led by President Carthon, Chairman Patrick C. Hines, and Vice President Michelle A. Kirwan, the SNMA Board of Directors implemented this initiative through the coordination of regional and local health fairs nationwide. These health fairs mark a courageous and admirable undertaking of our membership. An in-depth evaluation of the reasons for the disparities and recommendations for their eradication is still very much needed. When considering the six disparities, there is no rank order of importance. Yet, I selected cardiovascular disease for several reasons.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women of all races.
The effect of cardiovascular disease on minority populations is truly devastating. Age-adjusted mortality rates for coronary heart disease have remained persistently higher in the black population than that of the white population at all ages. The steady decline in cardiovascular disease mortality first noted in the 1970s has seriously lagged in blacks. More recently, the rate of decline has become increasingly uneven, and studies have linked this phenomenon to a community's overall level of social, educational, and economic development. Nevertheless, Latinos, as well as blacks and Native Americans, demonstrate a higher prevalence of most, if not all, of the risk factors.