LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Recent studies have shown that African Americans are more likely to have health conditions compared to white Americans.

The main reason: the types of resources that are available to them.

Dr. Destiny Etheridge from Norton Healthcare joined WDRB Mornings on Friday to talk more about the topic and how to deal with it.

Etheridge tells all her patients to watch for obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. These types of conditions give people a higher risk of heart disease.

Changing your lifestyle and maintaining a healthy diet can also help prevent heart disease. Cutting out sugary foods and smoking, and being active helps combat the risk.

Something as simple as taking a 30-minute walk a day can put you above the bar of being at risk.

"Everyone needs a primary care provider," Etheridge said on WDRB Mornings. "Our job is to have a full snapshot of your life to give you the best quality of life moving forward."

Another issue that Etheridge sees in not everyone having the same access to healthcare resources, making them more prone to health conditions.

Most primary care providers have resources to help cut down the cost of medicine. Talk to your doctor and they can help you.

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