Culturally-tailored strategies for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, as well as improved access to high-quality health care, may be required to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities, according to a perspective published Aug. 26 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

George A. Mensah, MD, FACC, reviews the progress and persisting challenges in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke in racial and ethnic minorities. Although black and minority health in the U.S. has improved over the last one-half century, he notes that racial and ethnic disparities remain pervasive and are associated with preventable excess morbidity and mortality.

Mensah explains that factors driving these disparities include differences in health insurance status, access to care and unequal treatment. He also notes that there is a lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the types of research studies that inform clinical practice and could help reduce and eliminate disparities.

Furthermore, Mensah points out that the complex, multilevel factors that contribute to cardiovascular disparities and unequal treatment are well recognized and moderately understood. However, he notes that more progress is needed in developing and testing strategies that directly lead to reducing and eliminating disparities, scaling up successful strategies and learning from strategies that fail.

"Our community of cardiovascular health professionals is ready and willing to take on this task," Mensah writes. "However, we need the strategic partnerships with multiple stakeholders from many disciplines and sectors beyond health care. The time for action to make more progress in black and minority health is now."

Commenting on the article, Kim Allan Williams Sr., MD, MACC, co-chair of the ACC Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and a past president of the ACC, notes that "we remain in an epidemic of cardiovascular disease, and African Americans are hit the hardest." He adds, "We need to address access to care, screening, prevention health education and lifestyle – primarily moving away from traditional African American diet and the growing trend for sedentary living. Elevating the disparities conversation to a national level is an important step in achieving health equity." Furthermore, Williams notes that tackling the complexities of diversity and inclusion – both as a profession and within the ACC itself – is a strategic priority for the College. "We are committed to harnessing the power and the diversity of ACC members now and into the future to advance patient care, spur innovation, and improve health equity among individual patients and populations," he concludes.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team

Keywords: Minority Health, Minority Groups, Ethnic Groups, Socioeconomic Factors, Delivery of Health Care, Health Education, Patient Care, Life Style, Insurance, Health

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