The Black–White Cardiovascular Health Disparity Is Narrowing, But Not for the Reason You Think
Authors: George A. Mensah
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2018)

Editorials17 April 2018The Black–White Cardiovascular Health Disparity Is Narrowing, But Not for the Reason You ThinkGeorge A. Mensah, MDGeorge A. Mensah, MDCenter for Translation Research and Implementation Science at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (G.A.M.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0349 Annals Author Insight Video - George A. Mensah, MD In this video, George A. Mensah, MD, offers additional insight into the article, "The Black–White Cardiovascular Health Disparity Is Narrowing, But Not for the Reason You Think." SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Disparities in cardiovascular health remain pervasive in the United States, with higher mortality in blacks than whites (1, 2). More than 3 decades ago, a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health showed more cardiovascular-related deaths in blacks (1). For example, the relative risk for death from heart disease was 20% and 50% higher in black men and women, respectively, than in their white counterparts. For blacks younger than 45 years, the difference was more than 2-fold higher in men and 3- to 4-fold higher in women (1). More ...References1. Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services; 1985. Google Scholar2. Lu Y, Ezzati M, Rimm EB, Hajifathalian K, Ueda P, Danaei G. Sick populations and sick subpopulations: reducing disparities in cardiovascular disease between blacks and whites in the United States. Circulation. 2016;134:472-85. [PMID: 27324491] doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.018102 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Keppel KG, Pearcy JN, Heron MP. Is there progress toward eliminating racial/ethnic disparities in the leading causes of death? Public Health Rep. 2010;125:689-97. [PMID: 20873285] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Chartbook on Health Care for Blacks, Part 2: Trends in Priorities of the Heckler Report—Care for Cardiovascular Diseases. 2016. Accessed at www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/chartbooks/blackhealth/part2-cvd.html on 19 February 2018. Google Scholar5. Brown AF, Liang LJ, Vassar SD, Escarce JJ, Merkin SS, Cheng E, et al. Trends in racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in cardiovascular health among adults without prevalent cardiovascular disease in the United States, 1988 to 2014. Ann Intern Med. 2018;168:541-9. doi:10.7326/M17-0996 LinkGoogle Scholar6. Rodriguez F, Hastings KG, Hu J, Lopez L, Cullen M, Harrington RA, et al. Nativity status and cardiovascular disease mortality among Hispanic adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017;6. [PMID: 29237590] doi:10.1161/JAHA.117.007207 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Lloyd-Jones DM, Hong Y, Labarthe D, Mozaffarian D, Appel LJ, VanHorn L, et al; American Heart Association Strategic Planning Task Force and Statistics Committee. Defining and setting national goals for cardiovascular health promotion and disease reduction: the American Heart Association's strategic Impact Goal through 2020 and beyond. Circulation. 2010;121:586-613. [PMID: 20089546] doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192703 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2030 Draft Framework. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018. Accessed at www.healthypeople.gov/2020/About-Healthy-People/Development-Healthy-People-2030/Draft-Framework on 19 February 2018. Google Scholar9. Westfall JM, Mensah GA. T4 translational moonshot: making cardiovascular discoveries work for everyone. Circ Res. 2018;122:210-212. [PMID: 29348250] doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.312273 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Mensah GA, Cooper RS, Siega-Riz AM, Cooper LA, Smith JD, Brown CH, et al. Reducing cardiovascular disparities through community-engaged implementation research: a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute workshop report. Circ Res. 2018;122:213-230. [PMID: 29348251] doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.312243 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (G.A.M.)Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institutes of Health; or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Disclosures: The author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-0349.Corresponding Author: George A. Mensah, MD, Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science (CTRIS), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, One Rockledge Centre, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 6070, Bethesda, MD 20892; e-mail, George.[email protected]gov.This article was published at Annals.org on 20 March 2018. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement Annals Author Insight Video - George A. Mensah, MD In this video, George A. Mensah, MD, offers additional insight into the article, "The Black–White Cardiovascular Health Disparity Is Narrowing, But Not for the Reason You Think." FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoTrends in Racial/Ethnic and Nativity Disparities in Cardiovascular Health Among Adults Without Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease in the United States, 1988 to 2014 Arleen F. Brown , Li-Jung Liang , Stefanie D. Vassar , Jose J. Escarce , Sharon Stein Merkin , Eric Cheng , Adam Richards , Teresa Seeman , and W.T. Longstreth Jr. Metrics Cited byCall to Action: Urgent Challenges in Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart AssociationReversing the Trends toward Shorter Lives and Poorer Health for U.S. Women: A Call for Innovative Interdisciplinary Research 17 April 2018Volume 168, Issue 8Page: 590-591KeywordsAge groupsCardiovascular diseasesCardiovascular therapyDeath ratesHealth disparitiesHealth surveysMedicareMortalityPlagueRacial and ethnic issues ePublished: 20 March 2018 Issue Published: 17 April 2018 PDF downloadLoading ...