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Latinas at greater cardiac risk

Hispanic women develop cardiac risk factors much earlier than Anglo women, typically exhibiting the heart health of a White woman 10 years older, a new study by the American Heart Association finds.

The research suggests that being Hispanic may be an independent risk factor for heart disease, and that these women need to be identified and treated earlier.

The study also found that Hispanic women had a higher rate of pre-hypertension (32 percent) compared with Anglo women (19 percent). Physical activity levels for Hispanic women were significantly lower and they had a slightly higher rate of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that predispose a person towards cardiovascular disease.