RCAHD Community Health Update
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Because heart disease is the leading cause of death both in the United States and in Virginia, improving heart health is an important goal for the Virginia Department of Health. Major risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure (known as “hypertension”), diabetes, smoking, older age, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and family history. Research has shown that having a healthy lifestyle is important to help improve outcomes for those with hypertension and high cholesterol.
Unfortunately, according to VDH’s Chronic Disease Data Dashboard, Roanoke City residents fare worse than average Virginia residents for several conditions, including:
- Hypertension rates: 41.3% in Roanoke City (VA average: 34.4%)
- Stroke rates: 4.6% in Roanoke City (VA average: 3.4%)
- Heart disease rates: 5.4% in Roanoke City (VA average: 3.5%)
In fact, several Northwest Roanoke neighborhoods have some of the highest rates of hypertension (53%+) anywhere in the state.
Earlier this year, the Roanoke Healthy Hearts Initiative, with its 12 local members, began working to identify and address priorities to offer resources on the prevention and management of heart disease to the neighbors they serve. According to founding committee member and Northwest Roanoke resident Amazetta Anderson, the committee is comprised of neighborhood residents, working on solutions for neighborhood residents: “Part of our resilience is our ability to think for the greater good and work together.”
As one of their first steps, the committee is working with local partners including Faith Ministries, Hunt Manor Apartments, and 727 Fitness Hub to offer exercise classes to adults and seniors in an area where access to such resources is limited. The classes will be offered at the church within walking distance to residents and are designed to increase community involvement and belonging, with targeted education for people who have hypertension and limited strength or mobility.
In addition, the group is working with One Valley, a non-profit urban community garden, to offer more opportunities for Northwest residents to get fresh, locally grown produce, especially for those residents who do not have transportation. The partnership will also promote increased physical activity and community connections through “Walk with Ease,” an Arthritis Foundation-sponsored neighborhood walking program that has been shown to improve participant health.
Northwest Roanoke resident Pam DeHaven said participation in the program is something she looks forward to, helping her to overcome shyness and loneliness, “I aspire to make the most of this group and its opportunities. I’m looking forward to attending each and every meeting with enthusiasm and appreciation.”
To better support these initiatives to tackle the concerning trends in heart disease, the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts have created a new community health worker (CHW) position. The CHW will concentrate on outreach to empower Northwest Roanoke residents to take steps to address their heart health. The CHW will also support several other heart health programs, including one to increase residents’ ability to self-monitor their blood pressure and another that will partner with Huddle Up Moms, a non-profit organization working to improve the health of pregnant women. Roanoke is one of several Virginia communities to receive funding to improve heart disease prevention and management among those most at risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports programs like the Roanoke Healthy Hearts Initiative and the new community health worker position. We know that programs like these help millions of Americans control their high blood pressure and reduce other risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Visit their website to learn more about their “Million Hearts” work with a goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the U.S. within 5 years.