Crisis Point: Disparities in Cardiovascular Health

This is Crisis Point.

Our mini-docuseries has returned, taking a comprehensive look at public health crises affecting the United States today, with global implications tomorrow. If the crisis point is the moment where a crisis will worsen or begin to get better, the question remains: where are we now?

This episode address disparities in cardiovascular health across the United States.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the US. There are pronounced racial and socioeconomic disparities in the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. Study data has shown Black adults in the US experience a higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension and obesity, and 30% more likely to die from CVD than White adults.

This conversation continues to be both timely and impactful for the healthcare community. We spoke with 3 experts to better understand the crisis:

• Anita Radhakrishnan, MD, a cardiologist at the Allegheny General Hospital McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute
• Joshua J. Joseph, MD, an endocrinologist and associate professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine
• Amil M. Shah, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a cardiovascular medicine specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

The 3 experts provided insight into the scope of the ongoing health disparities, from racial and ethnic disparities to the effects of socioeconomic status and communities. They elucidate the connection to biological, environment, and social determinants of health, from economic food insecruity to discriminatory redlining practices.

In speaking to the historical and sociological aspects of the crisis, the experts weigh in on the medical professional’s role in the topic, and consider what needs to be done to eliminate these disparities.

Thank you for watching! If you are interested in more video content, check out other episodes of Crisis Point on the obesity crisis, physician burnout in healthcare, and insulin access in the United States.

References

1. Javed Z, Haisum Maqsood M, Yahya T, et al. Race, Racism, and Cardiovascular Health: Applying a Social Determinants of Health Framework to Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2022;15(1):e007917. doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.121.007917
2. Bryan Smith M. Heart disease and racial disparities: Why heart disease is more common in black patients and how to prevent it. UChicago Medicine. February 25, 2021. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/heart-and-vascular-articles/heart-disease-and-racial-disparities.
3. Zierath R, Claggett B, Hall ME, et al. Measures of Food Inadequacy and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Black Individuals in the US From the Jackson Heart Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(1):e2252055. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.52055
4. Iapoce C. Study suggests connection between economic food insecurity, and CVD risk in black adults. HCP Live. January 25, 2023. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.hcplive.com/view/study-connection-economic-food-insecurity-cvd-risk-black-adults.
5. Crisis point. HCPLive. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.hcplive.com/shows/crisis-point.