title: Heart failure in African Americans.
abstract: The demographics of the United States are changing, and in the next few decades there will no longer be a racial/ethnic majority population. Increased awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in special populations is warranted as these populations increase. Heart failure carries a substantial burden on those affected, particularly African Americans, who have a disproportionate burden of heart disease. Current treatments for heart failure include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, angiotensin II-receptor antagonists, and vasodilating agents. This review discusses the unique characteristics of CVD in African Americans and addresses the need for targeted treatments to reduce the excess burden found in this population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9047, USA. clyde.yancy@utsouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Clyde W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yancy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*