Woman's Doctor discusses African American woman and stroke factors

BLACK WOMEN, MORE THAN ANY OTHER GROUP, ARE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE A STROKE. AND IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT THOSE STROKES ARE GOING TO BE MORE SEVERE AND HAPPEN AT A YOUNGER AGE. JOINING US NOW WITH MORE INFORMATION IS CHIEF OF CARDIOLOGY AT MERCY MEDICAL CENTER. DOCTOR CARLOS, GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR JOINING US. GOOD MORNING. ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT'S THE BIGGEST FACTOR PLAYING A ROLE HERE. PROBABLY THE BIGGEST FACTOR IS HYPERTENSION. UM HYPERTENSION IS VERY PREVALENT UH ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. BUT PARTICULARLY AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. AND UNFORTUNATELY AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN REALLY SUFFER FROM HYPERTENSION. MORE THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER GROUP. AND AND WHAT CAN LEAD TO THAT? RIGHT IS DIABETES, OBESITY, ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT FACTORS. ALL OF THOSE FACTORS. PLUS, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO TO OURSELVES, WE EAT TOO MUCH SALT, WE DON'T EXERCISE AS MUCH, UM, DON'T DRINK ENOUGH WATER. THINGS LIKE THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE AS WELL. YOU KNOW, THE EASY SOLUTION, YOU WOULD THINK, AND I SAY EASY IN QUOTES WOULD BE, WELL, KEEP YOUR DIET UNDER CONTROL OR LOSE WEIGHT. BUT IF THAT WAS EASY, EVERYBODY WOULD DO IT. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS. EATING HEALTHY IS SO DIFFICULT. UH, IT'S FINDING TIME TO EXERCISE IS NOT EASY, BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT. UH, A LOT OF FOLKS RIGHT NOW ARE TURNING TO THOSE GLP ONE MEDICATIONS, LIKE BOUND AND WEGOVY. THEY'RE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND THESE DAYS. WHAT ARE YOU ADVISING FOR YOUR PATIENTS? UM, I ADVISE THE OLD FASHIONED WAY. REALLY TRY AND FIND A DIET THAT WORKS THAT YOU CAN STICK WITH, NOT A FAD DIET THAT YOU CAN ONLY DO FOR TWO WEEKS. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD DO FOR THE LONG TERM. AND CARVING OUT TIME IN YOUR DAY TO EXERCISE. GET 30 MINUTES OF SELFISH TIME, WHICH IS YOUR TIME TO JUST DO BIKING, RUNNING, WALKING, WHATEVER IT IS. BUT THAT IS REALLY THE KEY TO LONG TERM SUCCESS. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE DRUGS ARE JUST SHORT TERM. THEY YES, THEY THEY CAN BE. SOME DOCTORS ARE SAYING THEY COULD BE LONG TERM AS WELL. BUT WHAT'S ONE MORE THING YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT A STROKE. UM, THE BIGGEST THING IS TO CHECK YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, HYPERTENSION IS A SILENT KILLER. YOU COULD BE WALKING AROUND WITH A VERY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, NOT KNOW IT. SO TAKE TIME TO CHECK YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE, GO TO YOUR DOCTOR, GET YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKED. AND IF IT'S HIGH, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU NEED TO REALLY TRY AND WORK ON THAT TO PREVENT STROKES AND OTHER ISSUES THAT CAN COME DOWN THE ROAD. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR, THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. YOU ARE SO WELCOME. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS

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Woman's Doctor discusses African American woman and the factors playing a role in stroke

Chief Of Cardiology Dr. Carlos Ince with Mercy Medical Center discusses the factors that play into African American women being more likely to have a stroke.

BALTIMORE —

Chief Of Cardiology Dr. Carlos Ince with Mercy Medical Center discusses the factors that play into African American women being more likely to have a stroke.