Skip to main content
CorVista

How Can We Tackle the Racial Gap in Cardiovascular Health?

Even with all the strides we’ve made in heart health, there’s a persistent issue we can’t ignore: the uneven burden of cardiovascular disease among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Communities of color still face higher rates of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions compared to other communities in the U.S.1-2   In this fourth article in our series, we’re examining the factors behind these gaps and their impact on different communities. We’ll discuss each group's specific challenges and how targeted solutions, including the CorVista System, are addressing these issues to improve cardiovascular care for everyone.   What is the Racial Health Gap?   While we’re much more aware of racial health disparities today, significant gaps in cardiovascular health remain among people of color, including Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian communities. These disparities reflect broader social and healthcare inequalities that impact outcomes for these groups.   Let’s take a closer look at how these disparities play out across different communities:   Black Americans: Black adults have approximately a 30% higher prevalence of heart disease and a 40% higher incidence of stroke compared to white populations.1 Additionally, they are diagnosed with cardiovascular disease at a higher rate and experience nearly twice the prevalence of heart failure than their white counterparts.2-3   Hispanic communities: People in Hispanic communities face higher rates of cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. 4   Native Americans: Native Americans have elevated rates of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, which are critical risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Their rates of diabetes are double those of non-Hispanic whites 5, 7  

Why Does This Gap Exist?

Cardiovascular health disparities among Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities are influenced by a variety of unique factors that are specific to each group.  Let’s take a closer look at these challenges:  Black Communities Many Black communities face limited access to quality healthcare, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates, all of which contribute to worse cardiovascular outcomes. 1-2  Black patients often have less equal access to healthcare services, leading to delays in diagnosis. 1   In some cases, Black individuals may have a genetic predisposition to some cardiovascular conditions. Genetics can increase the risk of conditions like hypertension and coronary artery disease, and these risks are often heightened by environmental and lifestyle factors.1-2 Hispanic/Latinx Communities: Many Hispanic/Latinx individuals lack health insurance, which limits their access to preventive care and essential health services and can make cardiovascular conditions worse. 1, 8 This lack of coverage also makes them twice as likely as white individuals to have undiagnosed diabetes. 2   Additionally, language differences among Hispanic patients can complicate communication with healthcare providers, leading to misunderstandings, delays in diagnosis, and less effective and timely treatment.1 Native American Communities: Native Americans face significant challenges in cardiovascular health thanks to a legacy of marginalization in American society. In some cases, Native Americans live in areas with few hospitals or healthcare providers. Plus, higher poverty rates and chronic underfunding of the Indian Health Service limits the availability of comprehensive care. 6   As with other rural communities, long distances to healthcare facilities can delay diagnoses and make it more difficult for patients to seek treatment, both of which can increase heart disease rates.9   What is the Impact of This Gap? The disparities in cardiovascular health among Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities have significant effects on their health. Let’s explore how these racial disparities impact each group. The racial health gap contributes to a higher prevalence of heart disease across different communities, including Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities. 1-2 This disparity leads to increased rates of coronary artery disease, heart failure, and hypertension, affecting health outcomes compared to non-Hispanic whites. Consider the following statistics to see just how big this impact is.  Higher Rates of Heart Disease
  • Coronary heart disease affects nearly 8% of Black people.1
  • Puerto Ricans face a higher prevalence of heart disease, with rates at 9.8% compared to 7.1% for non-Hispanic whites. 8
  •  Native Americans experience higher rates of heart disease, including coronary heart disease and stroke.
  Poor Management of Cardiovascular Issues:
  • Hypertension affects 25.6% of Hispanic adults, compared to 22.3% of non-Hispanic whites. 10 Black individuals face even higher rates of hypertension, nearing 40%, 1 while Native Americans have a 10% higher likelihood of developing hypertension compared to whites.7
  • Type 2 diabetes is more common among Hispanic adults, affecting 12.5% of the population compared to 7.5% in non-Hispanic Whites.10  Black individuals also have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, around 12.7% of the population11, while 25% of Native Americans are affected. 2
  •  45.2% of Hispanic Americans are classified as obese.10 Over 70% of Black individuals are overweight or obese, 1 and roughly 48% of Native American adults are obese based on BMI, surpassing the 31% seen in non-Hispanic whites. 7
  •  Hispanics have a higher stroke mortality rate at 35.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 29.2 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic whites.10 Black individuals also have higher rates of stroke and more severe cases than white individuals. 12 American Indian/Alaska Natives reported the highest rate of self-reported stroke in 2021 at 5.6%.13 
  Higher Mortality Rates
  • Black individuals are 30% more likely to die from heart disease compared to non-Hispanic whites.11
  • Native Americans experience a 30% higher mortality rate from heart disease compared to non-Hispanic whites.6 Alarmingly, 36% of American Indians with cardiovascular disease die before age 65.6
 

What We're Doing to Close the Gap

At CorVista, we’re committed to tackling racial disparities in cardiovascular health with new diagnostic solutions that make it easier for patients to access care and providers to prescribe treatments. Here’s how we’re making an impact:   Results at the Point of Care: Our system provides non-invasive cardiac diagnosis directly at the point of care. This makes treatment decisions easier for providers, which is crucial for communities facing longer wait times.   Reduced Delays in Diagnosis: Our technology delivers timely diagnostic results during the patient visit, minimizing delays and ensuring prompt access to care.   Accurate and Early Detection: We analyze cardiac signals without radiation or invasive procedures. This improves diagnostic accuracy and helps detect cardiovascular diseases early.   Informing Providers: Our diagnostic data enables healthcare providers to make better-informed decisions tailored to each patient.   Multiple Diagnoses in a Single Test: Our system allows for simultaneous testing for multiple cardiovascular conditions in one visit, reducing the need for multiple appointments.   We’re dedicated to addressing racial disparities in cardiovascular health through advanced diagnostics. Together, we can ensure all patients receive timely, accurate, and equitable cardiovascular care.   Join us next as we explore gender disparities in cardiovascular health, examining how risk factors and outcomes differ between genders.   Stay tuned as we continue to address these critical issues and showcase how we’re helping improve outcomes for communities across the country.   References
  1. American Heart Association. Black People, Heart Disease and Stroke. Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/african-americans-and-heart-disease-stroke.
  2. Cleveland Clinic. How Race and Ethnicity Impact Heart Disease. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23051-ethnicity-and-heart-disease.
  3. Balthazar D. Genetic variant common among West African descendants contributes to large cardiovascular disease burden. STAT News. May 13, 2024. Available at: https://www.statnews.com/2024/05/13/genetic-variant-west-african-descendants-adds-cardiovascular-disease-risk/
  4. Gomez S, Blumer V, Rodriguez F. Unique Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Hispanic Individuals. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep. 2022;16(7):53-61. doi:10.1007/s12170-022-00692-0
  5. National Indian Council on Aging. Diabetes Still Highest Among AI/AN. January 14, 2019. https://www.nicoa.org/diabetes-still-highest-among-ai-an/
  6. American College of Cardiology. Caught Between Two Worlds: Cardiovascular Care in American Indians and Alaska Natives. Cardiology Magazine. October 07, 2020. Available at: https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2020/10/01/01/42/Cover-Story-Caught-Between-Two-Worlds-Cardiovascular-Care-in-American-Indians-and-Alaska-Natives.
  7. Redmond LC, Estradé M, Treuth MS, et al. Cardiometabolic risk among rural Native American adults in a large multilevel, multicomponent intervention trial. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023;3(7):e0001696. Published 2023 Jul 6. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0001696
  8. Khan SU, Lone AN, Yedlapati SH, et al. Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Among Hispanic Versus Non-Hispanic White Adults in the United States, 1999 to 2018. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(7). doi:10.1161/JAHA.121.022857.
  9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. Heart Disease and American Indians/Alaska Natives. Available at: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/heart-disease-and-american-indiansalaska-natives.
  10. Martin SS, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, et al. 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2024;149(8). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001209.
  11. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. Heart disease and African Americans. Available at: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/heart-disease-and-african-americans.
  12. American Stroke Association. Let’s Talk About Black Americans and Stroke. Available at: https://www.stroke.org/en/help-and-support/resource-library/lets-talk-about-stroke/black-americans.
  13. Heath T, Shrishail N, Wong KH, et al. Trends in American Indian/Alaskan native self-reported stroke prevalence and associated modifiable risk factors in the United States from 2011-2021. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2024;33(6):107650. doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2024.107650.
  14. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. Heart Disease and Hispanic Americans. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/heart-disease-and-hispanic-americans
  15. Manjunath L, Hu J, Palaniappan L, Rodriguez F. Years of Potential Life Lost from Cardiovascular Disease Among Hispanics. Ethn Dis. 2019;29(3):477-484. Published 2019 Jul 18. doi:10.18865/ed.29.3.477