A politicized “expert” from the Mayo Clinic has argued that heart failure is soaring among black people because of racism.
The claim was made by Dr. LaPrincess Brewer, a medical doctor whose research “seeks to better elucidate the social determinants of cardiovascular health and how they contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease,” according to her online biography.
The Mayo Clinic News Network reported that the organization’s so-called “experts” now believe that heart failure has skyrocketed in the past three years because of racism
“African Americans, unfortunately, have the highest rates of uncontrolled hypertension in the world, which dramatically increases their risk for developing heart disease,” Brewer noted.
Common risk factors for hypertension include obesity; lack of exercise; high-sodium or low-potassium diets; and frequent use of tobacco, alcohol, or amphetamines.
However, Brewer claimed that soaring hypertension rates were due not to decisions made by black people, but rather to systemic racism or socioeconomic issues.
According to Brewer, this racism causes “food insecurity, housing insecurity, redlining, which really limits certain individuals from receiving opportunities and resources to better their health.”
The term “redlining,” which has entered common vernacular with the rise of social justice and the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement, typically refers to