A first-time comprehensive overview of cardiovascular disease in Hispanics in the U.S. outlines the burden of heart disease and stroke as well as emphasizes the importance of culturally appropriate healthcare for this population.
The American Heart Association scientific statement is published in the Association’s journal Circulation.
Hispanics represent the fastest-growing racial or ethnic population in the United States and are expected to constitute 30 percent of the total U.S. population by the year 2050. Yet, there is no comprehensive document about the cultural values and behavioral aspects that influence cardiovascular health promotion, prevention, and acceptance of treatment recommendations among Hispanics.
“This segment of the population has been somewhat ignored,” said Carlos Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H., lead statement author and chair of the writing group and an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. “Given the large Hispanic population in the U.S., it would be very hard to improve the health of the nation if this population is left behind.”
Read the entire AHA news release.
Media Relations
Marguerite Beck: marbeck@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-2415