Heart disease, diabetes rates higher for American Indians, Alaska Natives

Type 2 diabetes affects American Indians and Alaska Natives at three times the rate of their white peers and is linked to high rates of heart attacks and strokes, according to a new report.

The scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published Thursday in its journal Circulation, gives an overview of cardiovascular disease disparities faced by people in these communities. Heart disease rates are about 50% higher among the 5.2 million people in the United States who self-identify as American Indian and Alaska Native compared to their white counterparts. More than one-third of their deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease occur before age 65.

"Racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. have suffered from inequitable policies for hundreds of years. These policies have contributed to mistrust in the traditional health care system," Dr. Khadijah Breathett, chair of the statement's writing committee, said in a news release. "The most effective way to create change is through restructuring of inequitable policies and empowerment of communities."

https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/05/28/heart-disease-diabetes-rates-higher-for-american-indians-alaska-natives