Preventing Cardiovascular Disease
Introduction
Cardiovascular disease is a term referring to several conditions that affect the heart and the circulatory system. These conditions include arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke, heart valve problems, heart attack, and heart diseases (“What is Cardiovascular Disease?”, 2020). Collectively, these conditions are the leading cause of death in the United States (Bennet et al., 2017). Consequently, cardiovascular disease results in an economic burden for the sick individual, those related to him/her, and the entire country at large. Therefore, it has become necessary to come up with ways to help prevent the incidence of diseases. These methods would help save the lives of many individuals while relieving the country of the substantial economic burden resulting from the conditions.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Figures provided by the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) 20216, and the American Heart Association (AHA) 2016, indicate that cardiovascular disease is responsible for the deaths of more than six hundred thousand people in the United States every year (Bennet et al., 2017). The United States spends between $273 to $444 billion each year in attempts to deal with the disease (Bennet et al., 2017). These figures indicate the tremendous burden that the disease puts on the country’s economy. The primary cause of the cardiovascular disease is hypertension (Ferdinand et al., 2012).
Main Variables
The study’s independent variable was the presence or absence of community-based education programs. The dependent variable was the incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Statistical Analysis
The study used descriptive and inferential types of statistical analysis. For example, the American Society of Hypertension used descriptive method of statistical analysis in a survey conducted in the Island of Montserrat in the year 2011. In this study, it became evident that in the cohort, 28 percent of women and 25 percent of men were diabetic while 41 percent of women and 61 percent of men had a blood pressure of more than 140/90 mmHg.
Inferential type of statistical analysis played a part in the study. For instance, investigators concluded that for effective prevention of cardiovascular diseases, community programs had achieved favorable results.
Hypothesis Testing
In the study, hypothesis testing showed the advantage of finding positive –affect intervention and medication in hypertensive African-Americans compared to patient-education. After 12 months of research, it became apparent that adherence was lower with patient education compared positive-affect intervention (36% vs. 42%) and a greater increase in systolic (2.18 vs. 2.14 mm Hg; P=.98) and diastolic (-0-78 vs. -1.59 mmHg; P=.45) blood pressure.
Importance of Study Results
The study results provide essential knowledge about the prevention of hypertension and other related cardiovascular diseases. For instance, the study shows that community-based interventions are crucial to reducing incidences of cardiovascular- and hypertension-related morbidity and mortality, particularly in black communities. The study results provide evidence that specific methods of disease prevention are working. For example, in the article, it is evident that peer-counseling and interventions in barbershops contribute to improving control of hypertension among black men. The study results are also useful in showing the relationship between two different diseases. For instance, a study in the article shows that there a significantly high percentage of patients with both diabetes and high blood pressure. The study result also provides insight into people’s awareness about cardiovascular diseases. For example, in the study, it is evident that there a lot of black people who think that stroke will never happen to them despite pieces of evidence that there is a high rate of death from stroke among black communities.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1751-7176.2012.00622.x