Health, United States Spotlight

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Heart Disease April 2019

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and
risk of heart disease death differs by race and ethnicity.
This Spotlight explores racial and ethnic disparities in three heart disease topic areas: deaths, reported
prevalence, and risk factors. Even though four clinical risk factors—hypertension, obesity, diabetes,
and high total cholesterol—are explored here, behavioral risk factors, such as smoking and physical
inactivity, also differ by race and ethnicity1,2,3.

Heart disease topic areas Racial and ethnic groups

Black, not White, not Hispanic Asian or Pacific

Deaths Prevalence Risk factors Hispanic Hispanic or Latino Islander, not
Hispanic

Age-adjusted death rates for heart disease, by race From 1999 through 2017, death
DEATHS and Hispanic origin: 1999–2017
rates for heart disease decreased
for all racial and ethnic groups.
SOURCE 400 The rate of decrease for each
group slowed in recent years.
National Center for Health Black, not Hispanic
Statistics (NCHS), National Non-Hispanic black persons were
Deaths per 100,000 persons

300
Vital Statistics System (NVSS).
White, not Hispanic
208.0
MORE THAN TWICE
NOTES as likely as non-Hispanic Asian or
Pacific Islander persons to die of
Data for racial and ethnic groups, Hispanic heart disease in 1999 and 2017.
200 168.9
other than non-Hispanic white Deaths per 100,000 persons
and non-Hispanic black, are 114.1 337.4
subject to inconsistencies in 1999
reporting on the death certificate. 100 Asian or Pacifc Islander, 156.5
However, misclassification is not Hispanic
generally minor for Hispanic and 85.5 208.0
2017

non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific 0 85.5

Islander groups. 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017

11.5%
†
9.5% 7.4% 6.0%
† ‡ ‡
PREVALENCE
SOURCE of non-Hispanic white adults of non-Hispanic black adults of Hispanic adults aged 18 of non-Hispanic Asian adults
aged 18 and over had heart aged 18 and over had heart and over had heart disease in aged 18 and over had heart
NCHS, National Health disease in 2017 (age adjusted). disease in 2017 (age adjusted). 2017 (age adjusted). disease in 2017 (age adjusted).
Interview Survey (NHIS).
1999 2017
1999
NOTES 2017
1999
2017
Prevalence was reported by 1999 2017
respondents. In separate
questions, they were asked
whether a health professional TREND: TREND: TREND: TREND:
had ever told them that they had:
coronary heart disease, angina, a
DECREASE STABLE STABLE STABLE
heart attack, or any other kind of †
Significantly different †
Significantly different ‡
Significantly different from ‡
Significantly different from
from adults in other racial from adults in other racial non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic white and
heart condition or disease. and ethnic groups. and ethnic groups. non-Hispanic black adults. non-Hispanic black adults.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease risk factors. Atlanta, GA. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/risk_factors.htm.
2. Merai R, Siegel C, Rakotz M, Basch P, Wright J, Wong B, Thorpe P. CDC Grand Rounds: A public health approach to detect and control hypertension. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 65(45). 2016.
3. Wall HK, Ritchey MD, Gillespie C, Omura JD, Jamal A, George MG. Vital signs: Prevalence of key cardiovascular disease risk factors for Million Hearts 2022—United States, 2011–2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 67(35). 2018.
 Deaths Prevalence Risk factors

Explore other heart disease risk factors using data from

RISK FACTORS the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

HYPERTENSION OBESITY
Non-Hispanic black adults aged 20 and over were most Hispanic and non-Hispanic black adults aged 20 and
likely to have hypertension in 2015–2016. over were most likely to have obesity in 2015–2016.
50 50 46.9 47.5
42.1
38.2

Percent (age adjusted)

Percent (age adjusted)

29.4 28.7 27.2

12.4

0 0
Hispanic White, not Black, not Asian, not Hispanic White, not Black, not Asian, not
Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic

SOURCE NOTES SOURCE NOTES

NCHS, National Health Hypertension is measured high blood pressure NCHS, National Health Obesity among adults is measured body mass
and Nutrition Examination (systolic pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg or diastolic pressure and Nutrition Examination index (BMI) ≥ 30.0. BMI is measured weight (kg)
Survey (NHANES). ≥ 90 mm Hg) or taking medication to lower high blood Survey (NHANES). divided by measured height, squared (m2). Estimates
pressure. Estimates may differ from others based on may differ from others based on the same data due
the same data due to different analytic methodology. to different analytic methodology.

DIABETES HIGH TOTAL CHOLESTEROL

Hispanic and non-Hispanic black adults aged 20 and Hispanic, non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and
over were most likely to have diabetes in 2015–2016. non-Hispanic Asian adults aged 20 and over were equally
likely to have high total cholesterol in 2015–2016.
50 50
Percent (age adjusted)

Percent (age adjusted)

21.5
19.6
13.0 14.5
11.2 12.6 10.7
10.2

0 0
Hispanic White, not Black, not Asian, not Hispanic White, not Black, not Asian, not
Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic
SOURCE NOTES SOURCE NOTES
NCHS, National Health Estimates of diabetes prevalence include both NCHS, National Health High total cholesterol is measured serum total
and Nutrition Examination physician-diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. and Nutrition Examination cholesterol ≥ 240 mg/dL (6.20 mmol/L). Estimates
Survey (NHANES). They may differ from other estimates based on the Survey (NHANES). may differ from others based on the same data due
same data due to different analytic methodology. to different analytic methodology.
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The report uses data from government sources as well as private and global sources to present
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