Initiative looks into prevalence of heart disease in African-Australians
An Adelaide cardiologist is pushing for more research to be conducted to highlight the prevalence of heart disease among African-Australians. A national initiative launched this year, hoping to uncover just how underrepresented African-Australians are in clinical research.
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00:00 Jane Chimungeni Brasington's active lifestyle used to be a walk in the park,
00:05 until exercise started getting difficult.
00:08 I realised that I could not really continue my physical activities
00:14 the way I had always done, and I was getting tired very easily,
00:19 so I had to take a lot of breaks, even at work.
00:23 In April, she felt a sharp pain in her chest, prompting an ED visit.
00:28 They said that I had had several small heart attacks,
00:32 and that they were going to keep me in hospital
00:36 until they found out whether my heart was OK,
00:39 and they needed to do further tests.
00:42 What I have noted in the African patients that I have interacted with
00:47 seem to be that of greater severity of these conditions, and greater suffering.
00:54 Cardiologist Chukwudiebube Ajero says there's not enough research
00:59 on the heart health of African Australians,
01:01 so he launched the African Australian Heart Health Initiative, the first of its kind.
01:06 I felt that if we start off with simple health education, talks, community events,
01:12 and other things, it will help to sensitise the African community in Australia.
01:19 Heart researchers say this project could lead to better awareness,
01:23 and more appropriate treatment for African Australians.
01:26 We know, for example, that among the populations in the US of black Americans
01:32 who came from West Africa, they're more sensitive to salt,
01:35 more likely to get hypertension and stroke, for example.
01:38 Now, that might apply to our populations, but we don't really know until we look.
01:42 The federal government says it's provided $6.2 million for a national action plan,
01:47 and that it would be interested in any new data about heart disease among African Australians.
01:53 Jane Chimungeni-Brasington says more research could help people like her.
01:57 Even at the moment, I really haven't, my issues haven't been resolved as yet.
02:02 She wants fewer people left behind as doctors improve Australia's heart health.
02:07 [BLANK_AUDIO]