Cardiovascular disease has overtaken cancer as the leading cause of death among Hispanic adults in the United States, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement released Tuesday, Sept. 15. The statement, published in the AHA journal Circulation, is not a new clinical trial. Instead, it reviews existing research to explain why heart disease and stroke take such a heavy toll on a group that makes up nearly 1 in 5 people in the country.
One of the most striking findings is timing. Hispanic adults are diagnosed with heart failure about 8 to 9 years younger than white adults, the AHA said. On average, they also have a first stroke 6 to 8 years earlier, at about age 67, compared with 73 to 75 for white adults.
