Foreign born immigrants to the United States have a decrease danger of heart problems than their U.S.-born counterparts; nevertheless, that benefit diminishes the longer they reside within the U.S., based on a examine introduced on the American College of Cardiology’s Middle East 2025 Together with sixteenth Emirates Cardiac Society Conference happening October 3-5, 2025, in Dubai, UAE.
“We see that as immigrants are exposed to U.S. dietary and lifestyle habits for prolonged periods of time, it has a negative effect on their heart health,” stated Krishna Moparthi, a medical pupil at John. F. Kennedy University School of Medicine and co-author of the examine.
There is a necessity for focused public well being interventions that deal with the evolving cardiovascular well being dangers amongst immigrant populations and lift consciousness on efficient prevention methods.”
Krishna Moparthi, Medical Student, John. F. Kennedy University School of Medicine
Researchers analyzed knowledge from 15,965 adults within the 2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), specializing in heart problems danger components together with BMI, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and smoking. Participants have been categorized by U.S.-born or foreign-born standing and additional segmented by how lengthy they’ve lived within the U.S. (lower than 15 years vs. greater than 15 years).
They discovered 86.4% of U.S.-born people and 80.1% of foreign-born people had a minimum of one CVD danger issue. Foreign-born adults residing within the U.S. for lower than 15 years had a decrease adjusted prevalence of hypertension (38.3% vs. 48.5%), hypercholesterolemia (27.8% vs. 30%), and smoking (12.5% vs. 19.9%) in comparison with U.S.-born adults. However, foreign-born people residing within the U.S. for greater than 15 years had an elevated prevalence of diabetes (15.4% vs. 11.2%) and hypercholesterolemia (29.4% vs. 30%) in comparison with their U.S.- born counterparts.
The examine additionally highlighted that foreign-born, non-Hispanic Asian adults had a considerably greater prevalence of diabetes (14.5% vs. 6%) and a decrease prevalence of smoking (8.2% vs. 12.5%) in comparison with U.S.-born, non-Hispanic Asians.
According to researchers, there are a number of explanation why immigrants’ CVD danger is rising the longer they reside within the U.S.
- Lifestyle acculturation: Over time, immigrants could undertake dietary patterns greater in processed meals, sugars and fat, together with extra sedentary behaviors.
- Stress and socioeconomic components: Chronic stressors akin to discrimination, monetary hardship or unstable work circumstances can worsen cardiovascular danger.
- Loss of protecting cultural practices: Traditional diets, bodily exercise habits and neighborhood/social assist networks that originally confer well being advantages could decline with extended U.S. residence.
- Health care entry and utilization: Barriers to preventive care can delay analysis or therapy, contributing to rising danger components.
Researchers stated clinicians ought to contemplate an immigrant’s period of residence within the U.S. as a significant think about immigrant sufferers’ danger profiles and emphasize early screenings, culturally delicate counseling and preventive interventions to protect coronary heart well being.
“Immigrants arrive with a cardiovascular health advantage, but this fades the longer they reside in the U.S. due to acculturation, stress and lifestyle changes,” Moparthi stated. “Immigrants should proactively protect their health through screenings and maintaining protective behaviors, while clinicians must recognize duration of U.S. residence as a risk factor and provide culturally tailored prevention strategies.”
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