ISLAMABAD: A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) highlights the need to consider nontraditional socioeconomic factors, such as discrimination and environment, in addition to traditional contributing factors, like obesity, smoking, diabetes, and high cholesterol, when monitoring and treating cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women, especially those from underrepresented groups.
The AHA noted that discriminatory hurdles faced by ethnic communities lead to high levels of stress, which contributes to CVD issues such as inflammation and hypertension.
Women’s limited access to healthcare
Additionally, language barriers, environmental factors such as air pollution and lead exposure, assimilation to a different culture, and healthcare access, including the inability to access healthcare and lack of insurance, are significant challenges in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular conditions for women of underrepresented ethnicities and races.
These factors result in an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease and significant challenges in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular conditions, especially among minority groups.
