176220 Cardiovascular Disease in the US-Mexico Border Region

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Juan Rafael Albertorio, MA , International Statistics Program, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD
R. Frank Gillum, MD , Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, Howard University College of Medicine, Hyattsville, MD
Francis C. Notzon, PhD , International Statistics Program, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD
Objective: To examine prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors in the US-Mexico border region.

Method: We combined data from the 2000-2003 years of the US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which produced 5,139 interviews with adults aged 18 or more years for the border area alone.

Results: At ages 45-64, the prevalence of self-reported heart disease for the Border (6.2%) was lower than for non-border residents (6.8%), and the overall US (8.1%). 22% of Border Hispanics had been diagnosed with high blood pressure, compared to non-Hispanics (20%), a difference that was not statistically significant. Compared to non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks with hypertension, Mexican-Americans with high blood pressure were less aware of their condition, a smaller percentage was under treatment, and a lower proportion had their blood pressure under control. The current smoking rate among Border Hispanics (15.5%) was lower than among non-Hispanics (19.1 %), although this difference was not statistically significant. At the border, Hispanic (28.7%) were significantly more likely to be obese than non-Hispanics (17.6%). In addition, more than half (54 %) of all Hispanics and 36 % of non-Hispanics reported no leisure-time activity.

Conclusion: Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of illness in the border region and risk factors are prevalent. Improvement in monitoring and management of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in the border region is needed to reduce deaths and disabilities due to cardiovascular disease.

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate risk factors associated to cardiovascular disease in the US-Mexico Border region. Articulate the findings of the study and the usefulness to the promotion of the Healthy Border 2010 program. Assess the likely of established risk factors to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease at the Border region.

Keywords: Chronic (CVD), Latinos

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Work on the analysis, findings, and writing results.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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