Heart failure rates may be two to three times higher among American Indian populations than studies have found for Black, Hispanic or white adults, according to a new analysis, one of the first to focus on a group that has been largely underrepresented in research on this condition. The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association , used a newly proposed risk prediction tool developed specifically for American Indian people. The analysis found smoking, body mass index, kidney damage and whether Type 2 diabetes was well-controlled were major factors in determining heart failure risk for this population.
The prediction tool used in the study can better assess risk and be used to develop preventive strategies to reduce heart failure events and deaths among American Indians, lead study author Dr. Irene Martinez-Morata said in a news release . She is a researcher at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.
Heart failure occurs when the heart doesn't pump as well as it should, so it's unable to send enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. It is a leading cause of death among people with Type 2 diabetes, which occurs at disproportionately higher rates among American Indians. About 1 in 4 people who self-identify as American Indian or Alaska Native have Type 2 diabetes, a rate three times higher than their white peers.
Prior studies have found Type 2 diabetes to be the biggest risk factor for cardiovascular disea.