Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability among racial and ethnic groups.
Studies indicate African American women have a 13 percent greater chance of suffering from a heart attack than white women, and also face four times higher risk of dying before age 60 of heart disease or stroke than white women, according to the American Heart Association. Strokes are also taking their toll among the female population in this country. According to the American Heart Association, in 1996 women accounted for 60.9 percent of stroke fatalities. African American women are twice as likely to die of strokes than whites. Research has found that differences in diet, lifestyle, and health beliefs are the major contributors to the heart-health disparity, with obesity, lack of exercise, hypertension, and diabetes the significant risk factors.