Study Shows Heart at the Center of Hispanic Health Concerns

Many Hispanics fear having multiple heart attacks and most are not taking the proper steps to take care of their health, a recent study by the National Hispanic Medical Association revealed.

The study, dubbed "Heartfelt Wake-Up Call," found more than a third of Hispanics in the study have had more than one heart attack, and many in the community fear they will join that statistic.

Dr. Elena Rios, president of the NHMA, said the study's results were cause for concern.

"Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in our community, which is why we are so dedicated to raising awareness about this illness," said Rios.

Many Hispanics said they were in need of additional information on how to help prevent a second heart attack from occurring. Fifty-nine percent said they need more information on risk factors behind heart attack risk, and 55 percent said they need information about heart attack medication.

The NHMA said heart attacks affect nearly 900,000 people nationwide each year, and many can expect it to happen again. Within six years, 20 percent of men and 35 percent of women will have a second heart attack, the group said.

The study found that there were more concerns in the Hispanic community than heart attacks alone. Sixty-four percent of respondents reported concerns with high blood pressure, and 51 percent were concerned with high cholesterol.

Many Hispanics also said that some sort of support network is needed to connect heart attack survivors with information, medication and the support of fellow victims.

Rios said she hopes the survey will help alleviated some of these problems.

"By sharing these survey findings with the broader community, we hope to remind Hispanic heart attack survivors that they are not alone and there are many ways they can find information and support to live a healthy life," she said.

The NHMA said the study was conducted in part of the behalf of Mended Hearts, an organization connected to the American Heart Association. Mended Hearts seeks to provide information to heart attack survivors, including tips on connect with other survivors and how to avoid a second attack.