Many things can increase your risk of disease. Some are related to your lifestyle and behavior. For example, whether you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. But some you have no control over, like genetics.
One thing that can also impact your risk of disease is your racial and ethnic background. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically develop a certain health condition, stressed Jedan Phillips, MD, a family doctor at Stony Brook Medicine and Medical Director of the Stony Brook HOME (Health Outreach and Medical Education) program in Stony Brook, NY. “It does mean that preventative care is even more important, so you’ll want to talk to your doctor about screenings you may need and steps you can take to stay healthier,” he said.
Differences in Disease Risk
There are certain conditions where your race and ethnicity may play a role in your risk of disease. Some examples are:
Heart disease. This, including heart attack and stroke, is the leading cause of death in the United States. But Black people are particularly at risk. In 2019, they were 30% more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic White populations. They were also 30% more likely to have high blood pressure and less likely than White people to have it under control.
While doctors used to think Black populations had a higher genetic risk to develop heart disease, new research suggests this isn’t the case. “A lot of it boils down to less access to good quality medical care,” said Phillips. “Many African Americans aren’t able to take advantage of preventive care to regularly check markers of health such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They may also be more likely to live in areas where it’s harder to find healthy foods and places to exercise.”
Type two diabetes. Hispanics are 70% more likely than Whites to be diagnosed with diabetes, and 1.3 times more likely to die from it. Asian Americans are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic Whites. “Many people, including physicians, assume that since Asian Americans have lower rates of obesity than other racial/ethnic groups, they’re not at risk for diabetes,” said Brittany Morey, PhD, assistant professor of health, society, and behavior at the University of California, Irvine. “But Asian Americans tend to build visceral fat, which is the fat located deep within your belly that raises risk of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
Breast cancer. White and Black women have the highest incidence of breast cancer of all racial and ethnic groups. Black women have the highest breast cancer death rates, too. Their risk of death is about 40% higher than White women. Black women and Hispanic/Latina women are also more likely than White women to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancers. Genetic factors may be partly to blame. Black women, for example, are more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer, a more aggressive form of breast cancer.
What You Can Do
No matter your racial or ethnic group, it’s important to be proactive about your health and wellness, stressed Phillips. This means that you should stay up to date on your annual wellness exam, as well as any screenings that your doctor recommends. Other important things to follow up on include:
Know your family health history. “Your family history can be a window into your own individual health,” said Sherri Onyiego, MD, PhD, Texas Market Medical Director at Equality Health in Houston, Texas. If a first degree relative – that means a parent, a child, or a sibling – has a condition such as heart disease or breast cancer, you may be at increased risk, she noted. This may be especially true if you have more than one family member with the condition.
It’s important to get as complete of a picture as possible. You can use family get-togethers as a way to gather relatives’ health histories. You can also look at death certificates, if they are available. If possible, you’ll want to get health information for:
- Parents
- Siblings (including half-siblings)
- Children
- Grandparents
- Aunts and uncles
- Nieces and nephews
Bring whatever family health history information you have to your doctor at your next visit. Don’t worry if it’s not complete. Any information can help your doctor figure out which screening tests you need and when. If your mom had breast cancer, for example, you may want to start mammograms earlier. If your sibling just developed diabetes, your doctor may want to screen you too, especially if you have other risk factors.
Stay up to date on all your preventative care. This is important even if you feel otherwise healthy, stressed Phillips. “Your annual physical can pick up subtle issues that may not even be problems yet,” he said. “You could have pre-diabetes, or early-stage hypertension, both of which can be treated with lifestyle. But if you don’t follow up with your doctor, the next time you see them you may suddenly be diagnosed with a full-blown condition.”
Find a doctor that you trust. You want to find a health care provider that you can work with as a team. You’ll get better medical care. You should look for a doctor who:
- Treats you with respect
- Listens to your concerns
- Wants you to ask questions
- Explains things easily, to help you understand
One way to do this is to find a doctor who shares your racial or ethnic background. One study found that when Black men went to see Black doctors, they were more likely to agree to preventive tests and screenings than if they went to see a non-Black doctor. It all boils down to better communication and trust, said Onyiego. “When a patient trusts a medical provider, they’re much more likely to follow their recommendations,” she explained. “You want to make sure that your doctor meets you where you are. You need to feel comfortable with them.”
Adopt healthy habits. This is an important step to take regardless of your racial or ethnic background, stressed Phillips. If you do the following, it can help to lower your risk to develop any type of chronic disease, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or certain cancers:
- Choose healthy foods and drinks. That means plenty of fruits and veggies and less processed foods.
- Stay at a healthy weight.
- Get regular exercise. Most groups recommend at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate activity like walking or biking each week.
- Don’t smoke.
Advocate for yourself. Doctor visits now can be very brief. Make sure you walk into your provider’s office each visit with a list of questions, recommended Morey. “Remind yourself that you deserve the best care possible,” she advised. “You know yourself, your health history, and your family’s health history. You want to make sure that you communicate all of that in the short time with your physician that you have.”
Show Sources
Photo Credit: WebMD/Getty Images
SOURCES:
Jedan Phillips, MD, family doctor, Stony Brook Medicine; Medical Director, Stony Brook HOME (Health Outreach and Medical Education) program, Stony Brook, NY.
Brittany Morey, PhD, assistant professor of health, society, and behavior, University of California, Irvine.
Sherri Onyiego, MD, PhD, Texas Market Medical Director, Equality Health, Houston, TX.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health: “Heart Disease and African Americans,” “Diabetes and Hispanic Americans,” “Diabetes and Asian Americans.”
CDC: “Family Health History: The Basics,” “Prevent Heart Disease.”
Susan G Komen Foundation: “Racial & Ethnic Differences.”
US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: “Choosing a Doctor: Quick Tips.”
Harvard Business Review: “Having a Black Doctor Led Black Men to Receive More Effective Care.”
Nature Medicine: “Large-Scale Genome-Wide Association Study of Coronary Artery Disease in Genetically Diverse Populations.”
