“Urgent action is needed to combat the maternal morbidity and mortality crisis in America and cardiologists have a vital role to play,” reads a joint statement released by the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) along with the ACC and the American Heart Association.

The statement highlights multiple factors influencing the maternal health crisis, including increased maternal age, health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, and discrimination including bias and racism.

The groups stress the need for “all cardiovascular specialists to double down on their efforts to reduce maternal mortality and to eliminate racial and ethnic gaps in maternal health outcomes,” and to develop a “multi-faceted approach that includes prevention and treatment of underlying cardiovascular risk factors along with education of stakeholders,” all while “addressing social and structural determinants of maternal and cardiovascular risk.”

Read the full letter.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team, Prevention, Hypertension

Keywords: Morbidity, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Risk Factors, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiologists, Racism, ACC Advocacy

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