Cancer is the leading cause of death for Asian Americans, though heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans in general. Asian Americans also have a disproportionately high incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, liver disease, and tuberculosis. They are more likely to smoke, a risk factor for numerous diseases. Despite these factors, Asian American women have the longest life expectancy (85.8 years) of any ethnic group in the United States. Many Asian Americans face language and cultural barriers to obtaining health care. Asian Americans comprise 3.6 percent of the U.S. population but are likely to comprise 9.3 percent by 2050. The states with the greatest concentration of Asian Americans are Hawaii, California, Washington, New Jersey and New York. Updated March 2010
Guidance for Consumers
Medical provider guide for creating HIV/AIDS programs for Asians in community health centers.
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Link to patient brochure describing disease, prevention, self-management.
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Asian-language materials focus on cancer, with links to other Web sites providing materials in Asian languages on other diseases.
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Sponsored by the New York University School of Medicine, the Community Tuberculosis Prevention Program page features statistics and a PDF brochure with more information, as well as prevention/treatment information.
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