A groundbreaking new study has brought to light the stark disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence among racialized and Indigenous communities spanning Europe, North America, and Central America. The research underscores that these communities experience disproportionately higher rates of cardiovascular conditions, and reveals that significant gaps in health-care data collection exacerbate the challenge of addressing these inequities. This pioneering work elucidates not only the epidemiological trends but also the socio-political factors underpinning these health disparities.
Cardiovascular disease remains the foremost cause of mortality worldwide, yet its burden is unevenly distributed across various populations. In multiple countries, communities identifying as Black, South Asian, and Indigenous are reported to suffer from elevated rates of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes compared to their white or non-Indigenous counterparts. This imbalance is intimately tied to systemic disadvantages, rooted in poverty, housing insecurity, and limited access to quality health care, which create conditions conducive to poorer cardiovascular outcomes. The new study meticulously analyzes these complex interrelations to expose the underlying drivers of inequity.
Published in the respected journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, this research represents a collaborative effort spearheaded by scientists from McMaster University, forming part of a broader commission on inequalities and disparities in cardiovascular health. The study harnesses a cross-continental dataset, assembling evidence from diverse healthcare systems under varying socio-economic contexts. Its comprehensive approach not only charts the prevalence rates but contextualizes them within social determinants of health, highlighting how entrenched marginalization factors directly influence cardiovascular risk profiles.
One of the most striking aspects of this work is its identification of the gendered nature of cardiovascular risk within marginalized groups. The findings suggest that women from racialized and Indigenous communities bear a particular burden, indicating intersecting axes of vulnerability shaped by both ethnicity and gender. This precise elucidation challenges traditional cardiology paradigms that often overlook such intersectionality, calling for more nuanced frameworks in clinical research and public health interventions.
The study also confronts a critical blind spot prevalent in global health surveillance: the inconsistent and often inadequate collection of ethnicity and race data within health-care systems. Without standardized, granular, and self-reported demographic data, health officials and researchers are hampered in their ability to detect and address inequities. For instance, while Canadian census data capture ethnicity, this information is rarely integrated into health administrative databases, impeding real-time monitoring and response to cardiovascular disparities.
Across Europe, the problem is magnified by the lack of standardized data on ethnicity within healthcare records. Many countries resort to proxy variables such as country of birth, which fail to capture the complex identities and associated health risks of minority groups accurately. Similarly, in Central America and the Caribbean, the paucity of race and ethnicity data raises significant barriers to understanding Indigenous populations’ cardiovascular health profiles, leaving these communities largely invisible within epidemiological assessments.
The United States, while relatively better at collecting race and ethnicity information, faces its own challenges. The categorization systems often lack the granularity necessary to reflect the rich diversity within broader groups, such as the heterogeneous Asian American population. This limitation obscures subgroup-specific risks and inhibits tailored clinical and public health responses, perpetuating gaps in care effectiveness.
Delving deeper into the plight of Indigenous populations reveals a persistent narrative of marginalization and the enduring impacts of colonialism. These historical and ongoing structures disrupt traditional lifestyles that historically conferred cardiovascular health benefits. The research underscores that Indigenous groups who have managed to preserve or reestablish their traditional ways demonstrate noticeably better cardiovascular outcomes, despite facing systemic barriers to health care. This insight points to culturally informed lifestyle factors as potential avenues for heart disease prevention.
The study culminates with actionable recommendations aimed at restructuring health systems to better recognize and mitigate cardiovascular inequalities. Foremost among these are calls for robust collection of self-reported race and ethnicity data to enable precise monitoring of cardiovascular trends. Clinicians are urged to implement proactive screening strategies targeting high-risk communities, thereby facilitating early intervention. Moreover, public health frameworks should integrate culturally adapted health promotion programs emphasizing accessible treatments, active living, and healthy dietary practices that resonate with marginalized populations’ cultural contexts.
This research not only charts the epidemiological landscape but also functions as a clarion call to policymakers, clinicians, and researchers. It emphasizes the interplay between social determinants and health outcomes, advocating for a systemic overhaul in data collection and care provision to achieve cardiovascular equity. The potential benefits are profound: saving lives, reducing health-care expenditures, and fostering healthier, more resilient communities on a global scale.
The investigative team responsible for this study highlights that their work is unfunded from external sources, reinforcing its independence and the genuine commitment to addressing public health inequities. The findings will receive broader attention when presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s Congress 2025 in Madrid, promising to influence future cardiovascular research agendas and policy formulations internationally.
Central to this research are the voices and expertise of Indigenous health leaders, such as co-author Miles Marchand, whose perspective as an Indigenous cardiologist brings critical contextual understanding to the complex challenges Indigenous peoples face regarding cardiovascular health. This inclusion marks a key methodological advancement, ensuring that Indigenous knowledge and experiences inform both research interpretation and subsequent health interventions.
In essence, this study propels a vital shift in cardiovascular epidemiology—moving from generalized population assessments toward precision public health that acknowledges and addresses ethnic and racial diversity. Such an approach mandates rigorous data standards, culturally sensitive methodologies, and intersectional analyses to dismantle the systems perpetuating health disparities. The research thereby lays a foundation for equitable cardiovascular care and impactful health policy reforms grounded deeply in social justice.
Subject of Research: Inequalities in cardiovascular disease among marginalized racialized and Indigenous populations; disparities in data collection and implications for health equity.
Article Title: Reducing inequalities in cardiovascular disease: focus on marginalized populations considering ethnicity and race
News Publication Date: 21-Aug-2025
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Keywords: Cardiovascular disorders, racial and ethnic health disparities, Indigenous health, social determinants of health, health data collection, cardiovascular epidemiology, health equity, global health systems
