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Racism & Heart Disease

For Young African-Americans Emotional Support Buffers Biological Toll Of Racial Discrimination

A new study has found that African-American youth who report experiencing frequent discrimination during adolescence are at risk for developing chronic diseases like heart disease in later years. The study, which looked at 331 rural youth living in Georgia, found that emotional support from parents and peers can protect from the effects of allostatic load -- biological wear and tear due to exposure to repeated stress.
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Disease Heart and Racism

Gene Interacts With Stress Leads To Heart Disease In Some People


Some people who are prone to hostility, anxiety and depression might also be hard-wired to gain weight when exposed to chronic stress, leading to diabetes and heart disease, a new genetic finding suggests. An estimated 13 percent of people, all of whom are Caucasian, might carry the genetic susceptibility, and knowing this could help them reduce heart disease with simple interventions such as a healthy diet, exercise and stress management.
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