Racism, social inequities can affect heart health of Asian Americans, experts warn

A recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) highlights how social factors such as racism, immigration status and socioeconomic disparities contribute to cardiovascular health risks among Asian Americans. These factors affect different Asian ethnic groups in unique ways, emphasizing the need for more tailored research and interventions.

Statement highlights: The statement, published in the AHA’s journal Circulation on Sept. 16, identifies a wide range of social determinants — including structural racism, immigration status, socioeconomic position and English proficiency — that influence cardiovascular health among Asian Americans. These factors differ within ethnic subgroups and play a role in shaping heart health disparities. According to the authors, structural racism and historical immigration policies, like the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and World War II Japanese incarceration, have shaped social inequities, leading to long-term stress and inadequate healthcare access for some subgroups, particularly refugees. Acculturation and discrimination also influence health behaviors, with many Asian Americans facing barriers like limited English proficiency and poor health literacy, affecting their ability to seek timely care and follow medical recommendations.
What needs to be done: Asian Americans, the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S., are often underrepresented in health research, which contributes to a lack of understanding of their specific health needs. The statement stresses the importance of distinguishing between the diverse Asian ethnic subgroups when conducting research to avoid masking critical health differences. “All of these social determinants of health are likely interrelated, and the cumulative impact of these structural and social risk factors contributes to suboptimal cardiovascular health in Asian Americans,” said Nilay S. Shah, chair of the statement-writing group. He emphasized that addressing these challenges requires “multi-level interventions” that consider the distinct experiences of Asian ethnic groups to improve their heart health and achieve health equity.

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