A Google search of health disparities in the African American community shows high blood pressure as the number one result. The Center for Disease Control (the CDC) reports African American statistics linked to high blood pressure and heart disease as:
- African Americans ages 18-49 are 2 times as likely to die from heart disease than whites.
- African Americans ages 35-64 years are 50% more likely to have high blood pressure than whites.
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the African American community, usually ranked above high blood pressure- with high blood pressure being a leading cause in the reason that African Americans develop heart disease. It’s a vicious cycle.
Reasons African Americans are Prone to High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
African Americans have lived, and still live with stresses of government, society, and ancestral trauma. The American diet is also a huge contributor to these figures. Here is some insight into studies/research linked to high blood pressure and heart disease in the African American community:
- The higher prevalence of hypertension in blacks living in the United States instead of Africa demonstrates that environmental and behavioral characteristics are the more likely reasons for the higher prevalence in blacks living in the United States.
- Potential reasons for the prevalence of high blood pressure in the African American community that have been reported: socioeconomic status, dietary habits, social network, stress, and health behaviors.
- UT Southestern Medical Center states that the African Americans are more prone to heart disease because: “much of the difference is likely lifestyle, which is influenced by a variety of elements, including socioeconomic status, education, environment, stress levels, culture, and history.”
How Cannabis Can Help with High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a condition known as hypertension. As stated above, it can lead to cardiovascular/heart disease. Here is what research says about cannabis and how it can help with blood pressure:
- A dose of CBD reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study; as reported by the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NCBI).
- Medical cannabis may reduce blood pressure in older adults, study shows; as reported by News Medical Life Science.
- Cannabinoids lower blood pressure to normal levels; as reported by Medical Marijuana (.com)
How Cannabis Can Help with Heart Disease
A heart disease is also known as a cardiovascular disease and those include:coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and arrhythmia to name a few. Here is what research says about cannabis and how it can help with heart disease:
- CBD may reduce heart disease by reducing inflammation and emotional stress; as reported by Healthline (.com).
- Accumulating evidence now also suggests that CBD is beneficial in the cardiovascular system; as reported by the NCBI.
- A heart failure and marijuana consumption study of over 161,000 people hospitalized, shows that on average, a lower risk of death and shorter hospital stays; as reported by WedMD.
In Closing
This isn’t a medical advice piece, but it does serve as a guide for the start of research, and conversations with healthcare professionals about treatment options.
