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On this edition of In Black America, producer/host John L. Hanson Jr. speaks with Dr. Aaron Horne, an interventional cardiologist and heart care specialist in North Richland Hills, Texas.
In 2018, African Americans were 30% more likely to die from heart disease than white people. Although African-American adults are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure, they are less likely than white adults to have their blood pressure under control. African-American women are 60% more likely to have high blood pressure compared to white women.
Dr. Horne talks about how the coronavirus profoundly impacts people with heart disease and disproportionately impacts African Americans; what trends he sees related to cardiac surgeries; why it is especially important for patients with heart disease to keep up with preventive care; and insight from a new survey that uncovered perceptions around going to the doctor’s office, scheduling medical procedures and getting the COVID-19 vaccine.