Harb Walid A
Department of Medical Education, Oakwood, Health System, Dearborn, Michigan, USA.
Ethn Dis. 2007 Summer;17(2 Suppl 3):S3-28-S3-30.
Heart disease accounts for 38% of all deaths in the United States. The American Heart Association identified cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the most common cause of hospitalization in 2002. Direct and indirect costs of CVD have reached a total of $393.5 billion in 2005. Despite great advances in the treatment of CVD, high mortality rates and poor clinical outcomes persist. It has been estimated that a 17-year gap exists for research to reach clinical practice. More than half a million Americans of Arab ancestry live in Michigan. Similar to other ethnic groups, Arab Americans face challenges within the US healthcare system that hinder optimal clinical outcomes. Evidence-based studies targeting the Arab American population do not exist. Small observational studies provide limited data of questionable value.
在美国，心脏病占所有死亡人数的38%。美国心脏协会认定心血管疾病（CVD）是2002年住院治疗的最常见病因。2005年，心血管疾病的直接和间接成本总计达到3935亿美元。尽管在心血管疾病治疗方面取得了巨大进展，但高死亡率和不佳的临床结果依然存在。据估计，研究成果应用于临床实践存在17年的差距。超过50万阿拉伯裔美国人生活在密歇根州。与其他种族群体一样，阿拉伯裔美国人在美国医疗体系中面临阻碍最佳临床结果的挑战。针对阿拉伯裔美国人的循证研究并不存在。小型观察性研究提供的数据有限且价值存疑。
