The Alarming State of Heart Disease and Stroke among U.S. Latinos

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Heart disease is the top cause of death among U.S. Latinos.

In addition, data shows widening gaps in hypertension control, obesity, and diabetes among Hispanic populations, heightening their risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a new scientific statement by the American Heart Association (AHA).

“Advancing cardiovascular and [fair] health will require developing a deeper understanding of the unique drivers of cardiovascular disease within … Hispanic communities, addressing barriers such as language and insurance access, and implementing culturally tailored interventions and policies,” according to AHA’s scientific statement.

Let’s explore AHA’s statement and some ways to take action during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Heart Issues among Latinos

AHA’s scientific statement indicates that heart issues are “highly prevalent” in Latinos and “often emerge earlier in life.”

Issues include:

• Coronary artery disease rates are 6.8% in Latino men and 6.1% in Latinas.
• Heart failure rates are 1.8% in Latino men and 1.6% in Latinas.
• Latino adults experience stroke typically 6-8 years earlier than non-Hispanic White adults.

“Overall, evidence highlights important [gaps] across [heart] metrics, disease burden, and outcomes while noting critical gaps in disaggregated data,” according to AHA’s scientific statement.

Risk Factors for Heart Issues among Latinos

AHA’s scientific statement indicates that Latinos face a variety of risk factors that impact their heart health issues.

Factors listed include:

• Latino adherence to dietary recommendations was extremely low.
• Physical activity levels are suboptimal among Latino adults.
• Latino adults have lower rates of smoking and tobacco use, but prevalence varies substantially across heritage groups.
• About one-third of Latino adults report short sleep duration.
• 46% of Latino adults have obesity.
• Latino adults nearly double the rate of type 2 diabetes than non-Hispanic White adults.
• 45% of Latino men have high blood pressure while 27% of Latinas have it.
• Dyslipidemia affects about one-third of Latino adults.

“Key priorities for advancing cardiovascular health in Hispanic adults include expanding disaggregated data collection, increasing representation in research, and ensuring [fair] implementation of precision medicine approaches, including genomics, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence, while addressing environmental exposures, psychosocial stressors, and policy-related drivers of risk,” according to AHA’s scientific statement.

Increasing Access to Bilingual Support to Reduce Heart Issues among Latinos

AHA is building resources to address heart health during Hispanic Heritage Month.

They have:

• Practical guidance on nutrition, physical activity, blood pressure, and heart disease prevention with recipes, downloadable information sheets, and training videos.
• Tools and support for caregivers and families navigating heart and brain health challenges.

They also have bilingual materials to guide healthier hearts:

• Spanish-language educational materials, infographics, and resources
• Do It Yourself Health Lesson: Blood Pressure
• Do It Yourself Health Lesson: Cholesterol
• Salud práctica: Presión arterial (PDF)
• Salud práctica: Colesterol y lípidos arterial (PDF)
• CPR fact sheet in Spanish / Guía para la RCP (PDF)
• Hands-Only CPR Bilingual Community Presentation
• Don’t Drop the Beat Playlist on Spotify
• Let’s Talk About Hispanic and Latinos and Stroke
• Stroke Symptoms and Warning Signs
• The B.E. F.A.S.T. / R.Á.P.I.D.O. Experience

AHA is also promoting EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator, a program that supports local communities, small businesses, and innovators in addressing health differences through training, mentorship, and funding opportunities.

How to Address the Drivers of Heart Issues among Latinos

Non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH) are contributing to heart issues among Latinos.

NMDoH issues include access to affordable housing, healthy food, reliable transportation, education, healthcare, income level, and more wherever you live, learn, work, and grow.

How can you address NMDoH where you live?

Strat by downloading a Salud America! Health Report Card for your town!    

Enter your county name and get auto-generated local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges on several health indicators. This can help you visualize and explore local issues in education, housing, transportation, food, health, and more.    

See how your county stacks up compared to the rest of your state and nation.    

Then email the Report Card to local leaders to raise awareness, include the data in a presentation or grant proposal, or share it on social media to drive healthy changes in your community!  

GET YOUR HEALTH REPORT CARD! 

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