Scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College found that race does not affect cardiovascular risk calculations. The research was published in the journal JAMA Cardiology.
Currently, doctors use a cardiovascular risk score that includes personal health information, gender and race. Risk assessment helps choose medications to prevent heart disease.
A new study based on analysis of data from more than 12,000 patients shows that excluding race from an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk calculator does not worsen a patient’s risk assessment. Scientists found that blood pressure, diabetes status and cholesterol levels can accurately predict risk without taking race into account.
Well-documented racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease outcomes may be related to people’s socioeconomic status, the authors said. For example, stress from living in an isolated area or experiencing racism can lead to hypertension. Although these are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, they are not relevant in calculating your individual risk.
Other studies have shown that considering race can lead to delays in the treatment and diagnosis of kidney and lung diseases. For this reason, many medical centers have stopped taking race into account when calculating health risks.
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Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.