A new study reveals significant racial and gender disparities in survival rates following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for heart attacks outside of hospitals. The research, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, found that Black individuals and women have lower odds of surviving after receiving bystander CPR compared to white men.
Lead study author Dr. Paul Chan of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute reported that white people were three times more liely to survive CPR after a heart attack than Black people. Additionally, men of any race had twice the survival odds of women.
The study showed white men who received bystander CPR had a 41% chance of survival – the highest of any group. In stark contrast, Black women had just a 5% survival rate – the lowest among those studied.
Researchers suggest several potential factors behind these disparities, including CPR training practices. Dr. Chan noted that CPR training mannequins are often white and male, which may influence bystander perceptions and actions.
To address these inequities, the American Heart Association launched a campaign in 2022 targeting Latino and African American communities. The initiative promotes hands-only CPR, a simplified two-step method.
Dr. Lisa Cooper of Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity emphasized that underlying health conditions likely also play a role in survival outcomes.
While recent surveys show increased CPR confidence among Black and Latino Americans, this study highlights the urgent need to address persistent racial and gender gaps in heart attack survival.
See “Black Folks, Women Less Likely to Survive After CPR for Heart Attack” (August 13, 2024)
