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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

AZ Cardiologist Weighs In on Health Disparities Among Minorities

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Monday, March 6, 2023   

New research suggests Hispanic people born in the United States may be at higher risk for multiple chronic diseases than their counterparts born in other countries.

The research by the American Heart Association concluded U.S. born Hispanics have a worse cardiometabolic profile compared with foreign-born Hispanics - associated with higher rates of obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and asthma.

Medical experts say the disparity is mainly driven by westernized foods.

Dr. Reza Movahed chairs the American Heart Association's Southern Arizona chapter, and said communities of color are also more likely to experience cardiovascular disease due to lack of health care access and economic stability.

"We have to educate the minorities that it doesn't matter what your status is," said Movahed, "if you have insurance or not, if you suffer from cardiovascular disease, you have to seek medical help."

The recent AHA study found that Hispanic people born in the U.S. had higher levels of metabolites, biomarkers that reflect how healthy someone is, translating to a 22% higher risk for diabetes and 16% higher risk of severe obesity - both contributing factors to heart disease.

The American Heart Association has also found that Black and Hispanic adults are also less likely to receive Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation from a bystander in public.

While someone may need CPR because they have stopped breathing or are experiencing cardiac arrest, Movahed said racial bias may be the reason why Black and Hispanic adults are 41% less likely to receive bystander CPR compared with white individuals in public.

Movahed said that needs to change. He added that in Arizona, "chest compression only" CPR is what is recommended, which means mouth-to-mouth is eliminated.

"Therefore," said Movahed, "by taking the mouth-to-mouth breathing part and just teaching chest compressions only, I think we may be able to reduce the disparity."

Movahed said he encourages chest-compression CPR to not only get more people willing to perform it, but said it also does a better job of providing blood flow to the brain and vital organs - and that may improve health outcomes.



Disclosure: American Heart Association Western States Region contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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