This article is part ofHealth Divide: Heart Disease Risk Factors, a destination in our Health Divide series.
Many Black Americans experience high levels of stress.
This article addresses how stress affectsheart disease risk in Black people.
Zoe Hansen / Verywell
Prevalence
Race is a human-derived social construct used to categorize people.
Why Stress Is a Risk Factor for Heart Disease
The effect of stress is frequently underestimated.
Stress can be brought on by financial troubles, divorce, loss of a loved one or chronic illness.
Chronic stressincreases the cortisol, which raises your blood pressure and lowers your HDL (good cholesterol).
Chronic stress is also associated with many health-compromising behaviors thatmay affect your heartin a more indirect way.
When youre worried, you tend to:
These lifestyle changes put your heart health at increased risk.
Finding a Black Healthcare Provider
There are websites that help you connect with Black healthcare providers.
That alone raises the chances you might get the quality of care you need.
What Is Implicit Bias?
Black providers are also more likely to provide culturally specific care.
Questions to Ask
Choosing the right healthcare provider isnt easy.
The following are the components of an integrative approach that addresses the many factors that contribute to your stress.
Medication
Any illnesswhether mental or physicalcan cause stress and maladaptive changes in the body.
Therapy
Black people are just as likely as any other group to experience mental illness.
Oftentimes mental illness stems from stress and the constant need to fight against oppressive systems.
Lifestyle
Healthy habits protect you against stress you haven’t even experienced yet.
Making lifestyle changes aimed at curbing overwhelming levels of stress is a part of any comprehensive stress relief plan.
Some options are listed below.
Finding a local support group may be the first step in your journey towards recovery.
Family and Peers
Family and friends are great sources of social support.
These are the people who know you the best and can understand what youre going through.
Summary
Black people are disproportionately impacted by stress and stress-related disease due to systemic inequality.
Limiting stress and living a healthy lifestyle are surefire ways to lower your heart disease risk.
There is a growing number of Black specific mental health services and providers.
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