A new study reveals alarming trends in cardiovascular deaths linked to substance use, with certain racial and ethnic groups bearing a disproportionate burden. Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that despite overall improvements in cardiovascular mortality, deaths related to substance use increased by 4 percent annually from 1999 to 2019.
While the increase affected all demographics, some communities saw more dramatic spikes. American Indian and Alaska Native adults experienced a 5.4 percent year-over-year rise, compared to 5.1 percent for white Americans and lower rates for other groups. Rural residents and young adults aged 25-59 also saw above-average increases of about 5.5 percent annually.
“It is particularly concerning that these trends appear to be worsening existing health disparities, and to be having a significant impact on young adults,” says Dr. Harpreet Bhatia of the University of California, San Diego.
The study found alcohol was involved in 65 percent of these deaths, but stimulants like methamphetamine showed the sharpest increase at over 18 percent annually. Dr. Claradina Soto, a Navajo-Jemez Pueblo researcher, points to historical trauma and socioeconomic factors as root causes of higher substance use among Indigenous communities.
Experts stress the need for community-driven, multidisciplinary approaches to address these disparities. “It has to engage the community in order for change to occur on that level,” Soto emphasizes. As substance use patterns shift, targeted interventions will be crucial to reverse these troubling trends and reduce cardiovascular health inequities.
See “Heart Disease Deaths Related to Substance Use Deepen Existing Disparities, Report Shows” (February 6, 2024)
