Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is a condition where the heart beats at a very rapid rate. The condition can lead to blood clots in the heart and an increased risk of hyphenated complications. When an interruption occurs in the blood supp...

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) involves narrowed arteries reducing blood flow to the legs and sometimes arms, often causing leg pain during walking, known as claudication. Primarily caused by atherosclerosis, severe PAD cases can necessitate amputation. PAD notably affects Black Americans disproportionately, leading to higher risks of under-diagnosis, under-treatment, and severe outcomes like amputation.

Weathering refers to the hypothesis that chronic exposure to social, economic, and political exclusion, including racism, accelerates biological aging and worsens health outcomes in marginalized groups, especially Black people. This concept involves allostatic load, or the body’s ‘wear and tear’ from chronic stress, often manifesting in higher cortisol levels and associated with ‘fight-or-flight’ responses. This chronic stress can lead to a range of health issues, such as depression, migraines, hypertension, and heart disease.