Years of Potential Life Lost from Cardiovascular Disease Among Hispanics

Abstract

Objective: To quantify the impact of cardiovascular disease and its subtypes on the premature mortality of Hispanics in the United States.Methods: We used national death records to identify deaths for the three largest His­panic subgroups (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans) in the United States from 2003 to 2012 (N = 832,550). We identi­fied all deaths from cardiovascular disease and by subtype (ie, ischemic, cerebrovas­cular, hypertensive and heart failure) using the underlying cause of death via ICD-10 codes. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) was calculated by age categories standard­izing with the 2000 US Census population. Population estimates were calculated using linear interpolation from 2000 and 2010 US Census data.Results: After standardization, Puerto Ricans experienced the highest YPLL for all types of cardiovascular disease compared with Mexicans and Cubans (1,139 years per 100,000 compared with 868 and 841, respectively), a disparity that remained con­sistent over the course of a decade. Among different subcategories of cardiovascular disease, Puerto Ricans had the highest YPLL for ischemic and hypertensive heart disease, while Mexicans had the highest YPLL from cerebrovascular disease.Conclusions: In conclusion, disaggregation of Hispanic subgroups revealed marked heterogeneity in premature cardiovascu­lar mortality. These findings suggest that measures to improve the cardiovascular health of Hispanics should incorporate sub­group status as a key part of public health strategy.Ethn Dis. 2019;29(3):477-484; doi:10.18865/ed.29.3.477