For Blacks, Southern 'Stroke Belt' Is A Killer

When it comes to stroke, black Americans face a risk three to four times higher than whites do. New research suggests that African Americans who live in the "Stroke Belt" - a large swath of the South - are especially likely to suffer from stroke. The average ratio of stroke deaths among blacks compared to whites is 6 to 21 percent higher in Southern states than in other states, according to the study published in the September edition of Annals of Epidemiology.

It is as if blacks "sort of get penalized once for being African-American, once for being Southern and once for being black and Southern," said George Howard, lead author of the study and chair of the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Professor Howard isn't sure, but he thinks high blood pressure and diabetes play a role.

For now, "we need to collect better information on lifestyle and dietary factors that will allow us to evaluate whether it's really lifestyle that's driving the increased risk here," said Tobias Kurth, M.D., an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston who's familiar with the study findings. Dr. Kurth said ultimately more details can lead to preventive strategies that might reduce the stroke gap.

My response: "Penalized" suggests a victimology approach to this health issue, as if black American folks have no control over our diets and overall lifestyle. Nonsense.