12 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | FERUARY 2024
100,000 for white men and 135 per 100,000 for Hispanic men . Results for women within each demographic were lower .)
Progress stemming deaths from cardiovascular disease in Black men slowed considerably between 2010 and 2019 . Across the country , cardiovascular deaths for that group dropped 13 %, far less than the 28 % decline from 2000 to 2010 and 19 % decline from 1990 to 2000 . In the regions where Black men were most at risk , the picture was even worse : In Mississippi , for instance , deaths of Black men fell only 1 % from 2010 to 2019 , while in Michigan they dropped 4 %. In the District of Columbia , they actually rose , by nearly 5 %.
While individual lifestyles are partly responsible for the unequal burden of cardiovascular disease , the American Heart Association ’ s 2017 scientific statement on the cardiovascular health of African Americans notes that “ perceived racial discrimination ” and related stress are associated with hypertension , obesity , persistent inflammation , and other clinical processes that raise the risk of cardiovascular disease .
Though Black people are deeply affected , so are other racial and ethnic minorities who experience adversity in their day-to-day lives , several experts noted . However , recent studies of cardiovascular deaths don ’ t feature some of these groups , including Asian Americans and Native Americans .
What are the implications for the future ? Noting significant variations in cardiovascular health outcomes by geographic location , Alain Bertoni , an internist and professor of epidemiology and prevention at Wake Forest University School of Medicine , said , “ We may need different solutions in different parts of the country .”
Gregory Roth , a co-author of the JAMA Cardiology paper and an associate professor of cardiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine , called for a renewed effort to educate people in at-risk communities about “ modifiable risk factors ” — high blood pressure , high cholesterol , obesity , diabetes , smoking , inadequate physical activity , unhealthy diet , and insufficient sleep . The American Heart Association has suggestions on its website for promoting cardiovascular health in each of these areas .
Michelle Albert , a cardiologist and the current president of the American Heart Association , said more attention needs to be paid in medical education to “ social determinants of health ” — including income , education , housing , neighborhood environments , and community characteristics — so the health care workforce is better prepared to address unmet health needs in vulnerable populations .
Natalie Bello , a cardiologist and the director of hypertension research at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars- Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles , said , “ We really
need to be going into vulnerable communities and reaching people where they ’ re at to increase their knowledge of risk factors and how to reduce them .” This could mean deploying community health workers more broadly or expanding innovative programs like ones that bring pharmacists into Black-owned barbershops to educate Black men about high blood pressure , she suggested .
“ Now , more than ever , we have the medical therapies and technologies in place to treat cardiovascular conditions ,” said Rishi Wadhera , a cardiologist and section head of health policy and equity research at the Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston . What ’ s needed , he said , are more vigorous efforts to ensure all older patients , including those from disadvantaged communities , are connected with primary care physicians and receive appropriate screening and treatment for cardiovascular risk factors , and high-quality , evidence-based care in the event of heart failure , a heart attack , or a stroke .
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research , polling , and journalism . Learn more about KFF .
12 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | FERUARY 2024