Racial disparities in cardiovascular health persist in the United States, but the black-white divide has narrowed due to worsening health among whites rather than health gains among blacks. These were the findings of a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
In an accompanying editorial discussing the study, Dr. George Mensah, director of the NHLBI Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science (CTRIS), points to the overall worsening of heart health among Americans as a worrying sign and a call to action.
The researchers “sound the alarm that cardiovascular health has declined in the United States, that racial/ethnic and nativity disparities persist, and that the narrowing disparities is no cause for celebration because they reflect worsening cardiovascular health among whites rather than improvements in African Americans and Mexican Americans,” Mensah wrote.
Mensah emphasized that the Life’s Simple 7 health factors and behaviors – blood pressure, cholesterol, hemoglobin, body mass index, physical activity, diet, and smoking – are simple to understand and provide the opportunity for everyone – patients, providers, payers, policymakers, and public health practitioners – to take action.
“Individual behavioral and lifestyle changes will be necessary in promoting cardiovascular health for all, as will policy and environmental changes with population-wide impact,” Mensah concluded.