African Americans

Cleveland Clinic Study Shows African Americans Are At Greater Risk Of Developing Artery Disease, But Less Likely To Receive Aggressive Treatment

African Americans suffering from hardening of the arteries in their extremities, or peripheral arterial disease, are more likely to have medical conditions that lead to heart disease than Caucasians. However, fewer Africans Americans receive adequate treatment than their Caucasian counterparts, according to a Cleveland Clinic study.

A team led by Cleveland Clinic cardiologists Telly Meadows, M.D., and Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., reviewed more than 2,000 cases from the Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health (REACH) Registry to arrive at the findings. They presented their work at the American Heart Association’s 27th Annual Scientific Session currently underway in Orlando, Fla.

The researchers’ analysis showed that African Americans with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and morbid obesity, conditions that lead to heart disease, than Caucasians. PAD affects more than 8 million Americans, according to the World Health Organization.

“Patients with PAD are more likely to suffer and die from heart attacks and strokes,” Dr. Meadows said. “Prior studies have shown that African Americans are two to three times more likely to develop PAD than Caucasians. Despite this knowledge, our analysis found that African Americans with PAD are also more likely to be under-treated and are likelier to receive suboptimal treatment of their blood pressure and cholesterol than Caucasians.”

Dr. Bhatt echoed the assessment.

“African Americans with PAD face a double whammy, as PAD, in general, is under-treated and our analysis from the REACH Registry finds that being African American further increases the likelihood of under-treatment,” Dr. Bhatt said. “As awareness of PAD as a healthcare issue improves, these results provide a basis for the healthcare delivery system to address these disparities in care.”

About the REACH Registry
The REACH Registry is the first outpatient registry to characterize real-world event rates and treatment patterns in a broad spectrum of patients with atherothrombosis worldwide. The registry follows more than 60,000 patients over 4 years, involving 44 countries and 5,000 physician investigators. The REACH registry aims to improve the assessment and management of patients with a history of coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease (stroke/TIA), peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and those with a combination of high risk factors. The REACH Registry is sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and the Waksman Foundation (Tokyo, Japan), who assisted with the design and conduct of the study and data collection. The REACH Registry is endorsed by the World Heart Federation. For further information on the REACH Registry please visit www.REACHRegistry.org.

Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute is the recognized world leader in diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Cleveland Clinic has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for cardiac care by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1995. Cleveland Clinic has been ranked among America’s Ten Best Hospitals every year since 1990 by U.S. News & World Report.

Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Approximately 1,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2006, there were 3.1 million outpatient visits to Cleveland Clinic. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. There were more than 53,000 hospital admissions to Cleveland Clinic in 2006. Cleveland Clinic’s Web site address is www.clevelandclinic.org.