Black Americans who smoke face a significantly higher risk of stroke shares Jesse Slome, director of the American Association of Critical Illness Insurance (AACII).
According to Slome, the risk of stroke may more than double for Black Americans who smoke. The risk gets higher based on the number of cigarettes that are smoked.
The AACII director was sharing the findings with insurance professionals marketing critical illness insurance. "Researchers used data from the Jackson Heart Study, the largest study focused on cardiovascular risk factors for Black Americans," Slome noted. The study included 5306 participants, aged 21 to 84 years.
According to the findings the stroke risk was 2.5 times higher for current smokers compared with people who never smoked. Individuals who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day, had a stroke risk of 2.8 times greater. The researchers accounted for other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, age, and high cholesterol.
"The findings suggest a benefits for quitting," Slome added. "There was no significant difference between smokers who had quit and individuals who had never smoked.
According to AACII, black Americans are twice as likely to die from a stroke. "Stroke is a leading cause of death and illness," shares Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. "Cigarette smoking significant increases the risk. Prior studies show that Black Americans are disproportionately affected more by stroke."
"One American has a stroke every 40 seconds," Slome explains. "Smokers have a significant risk and the financial consequences can be significant. That's why some planning in your 40s or 50s is so essential." Smoking raises stroke risk the critical illness insurance expert points out. "The more you smoke, the more you stroke," he adds.
Slome offers some suggestions for getting the best value for critical illness insurance costs. "Some insurers offer uni-smoker rates where smokers and non-smokers pay the same yearly premium," Slome points out. "That can amount to a significant savings for insurance coverage. If you can find that, definitely see if you can qualify."
To learn more about critical illness insurance costs visit the Association's website or call 818-597-3205.
For long-term care insurance quotes visit the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance website. To find Medicare Insurance agents near you, visit the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance website. To learn more about critical illness insurance, visit the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance website.