Urban dwellers are exposed to an increased number of health challenges due to the unfavorable lifestyle and environmental conditions they face every day. For those residing in New York, one of the most populous and metropolitan states in the United States, the cardiovascular disease presents one of the most serious threats.
Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, is an umbrella term encompassing diseases related to heart or blood vessels, such as coronary heart and artery diseases, myocardial infarction, stroke, and venous thrombosis (Mendis, Puska, & Norrving, 2011, p. 3). In 2008, cardiovascular disease was the leading mortality cause in New York State, accounting for about 40% of all deaths and outweighing the next four leading causes combined (New York State [NYS] Department of Health, 2011, p. 5). Coronary heart disease alone claimed about 70% of those lives (or 27% of the total count), followed by stroke and heart attack (p. 5). Despite the positive downward trends in the mentioned cardiovascular diseases both in the country and in the state, NYS exhibits consistently higher rates of heart disease-related deaths (NYS Department of Health, 2011, p. 6-9). The same holds for other diseases, namely heart failure and hypertension-related conditions, except for hyperlipidemia-associated mortality, where NYS scores better than the country’s average (NYS Department of Health, 2011, p. 10-12).
The NYS Department of Health links these high mortality rates to several risk factors that New Yorkers are exposed to, namely tobacco use, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, physical inactivity, and poor diet leading to obesity. While these are common risk factors, New York residents exhibit behaviors that put them at a greater risk. For instance, in 2008 about 17% of adults were reported smokers, 51% did not meet the 2.5 hour/week moderate physical activity recommendations, and 24% did not engage in physical activity in their free time (NYS Department of Health, 2012, para. 2, 5). 27% and 38% of New Yorkers were diagnosed with hypertension and high cholesterol levels, respectively (NYS Department of Health, para. 20, 24). Neither did New York residents meet the dietary recommendations: only 27% of respondents consumed five or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, with the norm being eight to ten servings a day (NYS Department of Health, 2012, para. 16).
Among some other contributing factors that are beyond one’s control are age, race, and family history. While mortality is especially high for those 65 and older in NYS, the cardiovascular disease presents a problem across all age groups. The disease affects even children and adolescents: It is the fifth leading mortality cause and only the second natural cause after cancer for those aged 1 to 34 (NYS Department of Health, 2011, p. 19). Contrary to the common misperception, heart disease deaths are not more common among males. In fact, in NYS crude female mortality rate was higher than the male one (317.9 versus 282.7) although this is due to the uneven gender distribution in older age groups (NYS Department of Health, 2011, p. 16). Race, on the other hand, was a major factor, as blacks were 65% more likely to die prematurely because of cardiovascular disease in 2008 (NYS Department of Health, 2011, p. 15).
Thus, while cardiovascular disease presents a common threat irrespective of one’s place of living and other factors, residents of New York State are more vulnerable to heart disease compared to the nation’s average. While the individuals’ age or race is beyond their influence, lifestyle changes can be a crucial prevention tool that New Yorkers can and should use.
References
Mendis, S., Puska, P., & Norrving, B. (2011). Global atlas on cardiovascular disease prevention and control. Geneva: World Health Organization.
New York State Department of Health. (2011). Cardiovascular disease mortality in New York State. New York, United States: Author.
New York State Department of Health. (2012). Risk factors. Web.