Heart failure is a critical health problem in the United States despite the country’s progress in treating heart failure and heart diseases. According to the center for disease control, about 6.2 million adults in the United States have heart failure (HFSA, 2022). It is presumed that at least 960000 new cases of heart failure develop annually (HFSA, 2022). The statistics on the deaths caused by the condition show that heart failure is not only a major health issue in the country but also a major killer. Generally, heart failure constitutes 8.5 percent of all heart-related deaths recorded in the United States (HFSA, 2022). Instances of heart failure hospitalization are considered to be a great burden on the healthcare system, as the condition is mentioned in one of every eight death certificates produced in the country. A comparison of the national average and the data obtained in Florida shows that the condition poses a great challenge in the state, especially among the Medicare population. Due to this reason, a comparison between the national average data and the state difference data provides an effective understanding of the condition.
An analysis of the latest year’s available data, it is evident that there exists a great difference in the prevalence of heart failure for selected populations. Comparing the prevalence of heart failure among the various ethnic groups in Florida with the corresponding data across the nation shows that the state has a higher burden than the national average (CMS, 2021). Based on the nature of the data obtained, a line graph is the most convenient data presentation method to analyze the difference between the prevalence of the condition in Florida with the national data. A line graph and bar graphs provide a comparison tool as one can examine the average prevalence across the various ethnic groups, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, which are based on table 1. It makes it easy to obtain the overall prevalence of heart failure and the difference across the various ethnic groups at the state and national levels.
Table 1: Table showing Florida v National average heart failure prevalence
Based on the data in the line graph, the prevalence of heart failure is higher among the American Indian or Alaska natives than in any other ethnic group in Florida. This data shows that the other group experiencing a high prevalence of the condition is the black or African Americans. Such a trend is also experienced at the national level as the American Indians and the blacks have an equal prevalence (CMS, 2021). The population with the lowest level of heart failure prevalence is the Asian pacific, followed by individuals from other ethnic backgrounds and the Hispanic population. The white population was ranked third from the highest and fourth from the lowest at the state and national levels. Such differences show that the overall health status at the national level is better than the conditions experienced at the state level despite the slight difference (CMS, 2021). Such information is critical in examining the impact of the measures taken within the state and how they impact the overall health measures taken to prevent the prevalence of the condition in the country.
Based on the nature of the condition, advanced research needs to be undertaken to examine the various aspects that enhance the prevalence of the condition to more in some ethnic groups more than others. A critical reason is that additional information about the lifestyles maintained between individuals from various ethnic groups can be used to examine the cause of the prevalence disparity among the various ethnic groups. The living standards maintained in different states show that every state has demographic and economic conditions which differ from other states. The prevalence of heart failure among various ethnic groups significantly impacts how heart failure conditions develop within a state. According to the health department in Florida, maintaining a healthy lifestyle leads to developing a healthy heart. In addition, health promotion practices and chronic disease prevention mechanisms significantly impact the management of the condition in the country. Such information shows that the lifestyle maintained in the state significantly impacts the state’s health status compared to the nation’s overall state.
America’s health rankings are ranked based on the lifestyle maintained in the state. According to the overall analysis of the health rankings, the country is estimated to have an average value of 8.1 percent (U.S. Census, 2020). Using such metrics, Florida is considered to have higher behavioral risk factors compared to the risk factors in the entire country. This aspect shows the need for life modifications in their way of life to ensure that they do not engage in activities that enhance the risk factors leading to the development of heart failure (U.S. Census, 2020). The American diet and living standards among the Whites, blacks, and Indian natives are perceived to impact the heart failure rate in the county significantly. According to the census data, Florida’s lifestyle is slightly higher than the average lifestyle maintained in the United States (U.S. Census, 2020). Florida has a higher rate of individual-owned houses, employment rate, computer and internet use, and persons without insurance than the country’s general rate (U.S. Census, 2020). Such factors show has florid has a higher chance of attaining heart conditions, as evident in the data.
One of the best ways to be implemented in Florida to curb the increasing rate of heart failure is to maintain a physically active life. Regular physical activities play a critical role in maintaining a healthy body weight which is a significant cause of heart failure (Kotsis et al., 2018). Activities like exercises and other physical activities like walking instead of boarding public transport can enable a reduction of weight gain, reducing the chances of experiencing heart failure. This activity can be effective among Whites, the wealthy ethnic group undertaking fewer physical activities (Aune et al., 2020). Due to this reason, the recommendation can be highly effective in reducing the rate of heat failures among white Medicare patients in the state. The method can be used for effective results with other mechanisms like eating healthy, reducing risky behaviors like smoking, and stress management.
In conclusion, heart failure is considered a great health challenge in Florida and the United States. The impacts of the condition are perceived to vary among individuals from different ethnic groups. Such factors are perceived to be influenced by various aspects that lead to increased rates of heart failure in Florida compared to the average rate across the country. The increased prevalence of the condition is attributed to the general lifestyles maintained in the state and how the rate of the condition places a higher burden on its management than the burden experienced across the country. Since the ethnic data comparison does not provide detailed information about the main factors that lead to the increased prevalence of the condition, the lifestyles maintained in the constituent states provide additional information on the various factors that make the condition worse. Due to this reason, Florida should encourage increased physical activities, especially among Whites, to reduce the condition’s prevalence.
References
Aune, D., Schlesinger, S., Leitzmann, M. F., Tonstad, S., Norat, T., Riboli, E. & Vatten, L. J. (2020). Physical activity and the risk of heart failure: A systematic review and dose– response meta-analysis of prospective studies. European Journal of Epidemiology, 36(4), 367–381.
CMS. (2021). Mapping Medicare disparities by population. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services data. Web.
HFSA. (2022). Heart failure facts & information. HFSA. Web.
Kotsis, V., Tsioufis, K., Antza, C., Seravalle, G., Coca, A., Sierra, C. & Grassi, G. (2018). Obesity and cardiovascular risk: a call for action from the European Society of hypertension working group of obesity, diabetes and the high-risk patient and european association for the study of obesity: part B: obesity-induced cardiovascular disease, early prevention strategies and future research directions. Journal of Hypertension, 36(7), 1441-1455.
U.S. Census. (2020). QuickFacts United States; Florida. United States Census. Web.