Doc,

I’m not a doc, but let me give some of the best advice and my expert
opinion in regard to this very issue that affected our Hmong people
that live overseas, and the lacking of our very own experience and
expertise of this health concern. Living in the west for 29 years, I
had encounter many elements, such as you had stated above. Here are
the reasons to support why the majority of Hmong people are having
these health problems:

The number 1 contributor and killer to this health issue are
depression and stresses. The number of elders who arrived in this
country—they were lacking in many skills, such as language barrier,
living condition, wealth, driving, social gathering, status in the
social order/norm, and movement in a daily life style. They were
typical home sick, and with the contribution of eating disorder and
drinking; these played a major aspect of this health issue, such as
Hypertension and Diabetes, and that that is the number killer in our
community. Therefore, depression, stresses and physical ailment would
cause all these phenomenon of high blood pressure, such that it can
result into hypertension and diabetes. At last, their life expectancy
would be much shorter and normal middle or upper class persons.

The number 2 contributor is exercise, because our people were just
migrated to the west, and we were so new in the city environment (they
were hill Billy, and their chores consisted of constant walking and
movement). Many of us do not feel comfortable enough to take a walk
down the street every day and/or run a few miles per week to energize
our body’s engines. These can be the majors attributed to double
digits onto our body’s health problems. Typical an American, he/she
would set time aside to do exercise regularly and watch his/her eating
life style.

I had drawn my conclusion that the expert of the west and its health
instructional did not realize these many factors and contributors to
the affect of our current health problems. However, I don’t believe
that Hmong people have genetic predisposition, such that it would
trigger and/or spark this fast surge of hypertension trend. I can
attest of myself, such that major events in our life, can trigger the
rises of high blood pressure and hypertension, and with the eating
disorder and obese can definitely result in getting diabetes as well.

Thanks doc,

Zhen tus me TNB (Born2beMhong)