WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Between the ages of 45 and 64, African American males have a 70% higher risk for heart failure than Caucasian males. African American females between the ages of 45 and 54 have a 50% greater risk of developing heart failure than Caucasian females. The earlier onset of disease means higher rates of hospitalization, earlier disability, and higher rates of premature death (death before the age of 65)(1). This dramatic difference in health status and health outcomes can be attributed to a variety of factors, including lack of access to quality medical care. The National Minority Health Month Foundation (the Foundation) is pleased to recognize the potential advancements in treatment for heart failure in African Americans represented by the recently completed African American Heart Failure Trial (A- HeFT).
Increased Disease Prevalence
Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to maintain adequate circulation of blood in the tissues of the body or pump out the venous blood returned to it. It is a major factor in escalating health care costs and is now the leading cause of hospitalization in patients aged 65 years and older. African-Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 are 2.5 times more likely to die from heart failure than Caucasians in the same age range(2). Based on data from the Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that there are approximately 700,000 African Americans with heart failure in the United States, and this number is expected to grow to 900,000 by 2010.
“The National Minority Health Month Foundation views the disproportionate burden of heart failure suffered by the African American community as a serious societal concern,” said Gary A. Puckrein, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Foundation. “The Foundation is committed to collecting, analyzing and disseminating reliable health data that can document the need for improved health services at the community level. The research that is being undertaken to more specifically identify the causes and efficacious treatments of heart failure shows great promise for the future.”
Clinical Trial Development for the Future
Clinical research is a critical component to eliminating the health disparities experienced by population groups that are statistical minorities. Trials such as A-HeFT are just now beginning to document valuable information about African Americans and heart failure that will ultimately lead to new treatment options for physicians and their patients. A-HeFT, co-sponsored by the Association of Black Cardiologists and NitroMed, Inc., is the first-ever African-American heart failure trial and -- with more than 1,000 participants -- the largest trial conducted solely in the African-American population. In July, the A-HeFT Steering Committee and the Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) discontinued this confirmatory phase III clinical trial due to the significant survival benefit seen with the drug.
The A-HeFT clinical trial data will be presented during the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, November 7-10 in New Orleans, LA, at a late- breaking session. The presentation will be held on Monday, November 8th, 11:45 a.m. -- 12:05 p.m. (CT).
“The scientific literature has consistently documented the differential affects of drug therapies among racial groups. The Congressional Black Caucus has unequivocally called for increased understanding of these differences in order to assure that the rights of all citizens to quality health care can be assured. Therefore, we call on the research community to accept the responsibility for enrolling minorities in clinical trials to assure that their work is ethically and scientifically sound,” said Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christensen, Chair of Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. “We are pleased that A-HeFT was successful in recruiting and retaining African American patients, not only because this trial furthers our understanding of causes and effective treatments of heart failure in Americans, but also because it dispels the myth that African-American patients are not willing to participate in clinical trials.”
Dr. Puckrein said, “The National Minority Health Month Foundation believes that the results of the A-HeFT trial provide the first step towards what must be a long-term commitment on the part of government, industry and organized medicine to hone our ability to identify the causes and appropriate therapies for all conditions that compromise the health and well-being of America’s multi-ethnic population. As a next step, we are engaged in discussions with critical stakeholders to explore the feasibility of establishing a National African American Heart Failure Consortium. This partnership of national organizations will review trends in heart failure incidence, treatment and cost; and advise the Foundation on strategies that can be implemented at the national and local levels to overcome barriers to access to the most effective medical treatments.”
The National Minority Health Month Foundation
The National Minority Health Month Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving health status among all racial and ethnic minorities by improving access to quality health care. The Foundation promotes the use of evidence-based responses at the national, state, and local levels. For additional information, contact the Foundation at (202) 223-7560.
(1) Source, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004. (2) To obtain this statistic, the Foundation went to the CDC Wonder mortality tables, typed in an information request for the most recent year available (2001) for the category of Heart Failure (ICD-10 I50.0 I50.9) and asked for compressed mortality rates by race, age categories of 45-54 and 55-64 by the closest fiscal year standard population (FY2001). The source of the Wonder Mortality Data Set is United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Office of Analysis, Epidemiology, and Health Promotion (OAEHP), Compressed Mortality File (CMF) compiled from CMF 1999-2001, Series 2 No. 2G 2004 on CDC WONDER On-line Database.
National Minority Health Month Foundation
CONTACT: Dr. Gary A. Puckrein of the National Minority Health MonthFoundation, +1-202-223-7560; or Aimee Frank of Spectrum Science,+1-202-955-6222, for the National Minority Health Month Foundation