Clayton County was one of two counties in the nation selected to participate in a pilot health program aimed at reducing heart disease and stroke among black men.
Americans suffer 1.5 million heart attacks and strokes each year, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Black men are 25 percent more likely to die from heart disease compared to non-Hispanic white men, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To address that disparity, the CDC Foundation has teamed with Pfizer and Quest Diagnostics to launch the Million Hearts “Healthy is Strong” campaign in Clayton and Richland County, S.C., where cardiovascular disease is high.
In 2013, the latest available data, Clayton County had 586 hospital discharges and 499 emergency room visits due to stroke. Both are higher than the state rate. During that time, it also had 570 hospital discharges and 509 visits to the emergency room for heart disease.
“We are thrilled to be working in conjunction with the CDC Foundation on this ground-breaking public health initiative,” said Dr. Alpha Fowler Bryan, district health director at the Clayton County Board of Health.
The program hopes to reach black men between the ages of 40 and 65 through park and recreation centers, churches and other locations, said Seth Coleman, a spokesman for the health board.
The program will try to determine the frequency of doctor visits and whether people have health insurance. It will also assess people’s dietary habits as well as the health of their circulatory and cardiovascular systems.
For more details, call 678-610-7424.
About the Author
