Heart Failure in African-Americans Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the top killers in the world population and number one in the U.S. Heart failure is the number one killer in the U.S. And stroke, number three. The African-American Population has even higher numbers that fall victims to these killers. The main factors that lead to heart failure and stroke are: "high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diabetes, poor diet and physical inactivity," with their natural consequences: "overweight and obesity" (http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=21).

Although heart diseases are the number one cause of death in the U.S. today, they are also among the most preventable diseases. An unprecedented opportunity to prevent heart disease and stroke exists today in the United States. "We know what causes these conditions and how to prevent them, largely because of the decades of research supported by NIH, the American Heart Association, and others" (http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/action_plan/pdfs/action_plan_full.pdf ). The African-American Population in the U.S. is at higher risks to die because of a CVD.

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Lowering blood pressure is also one of the most important targets for public health policy makers. Along with high cholesterol and smoking, these potential causes for heart disease are the main targets for the prevention programs across the country. The numbers speak for themselves. The aim of health care professionals should be to get the tens of millions of adults to be aware of their high blood pressure condition and get it under control, for example. Getting the situation under control is of essence, considering that nationwide, there are still tens of millions of Americans who are not even aware of their…