Experiencing Unfair Treatment is Associated with Incident Cardiovascular Disease Among Older Black Adults

Abstract Experiencing discrimination may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which disproportionately impacts Black adults in the United States. With the few prospective, time-varying investigations, evidence of everyday discrimination impacting incident CVD is sparse, especially among older Black adults. This study examined the association between everyday discrimination and incident CVD across a 12-year period using a nationally representative population of older Black adults from the Health and Retirement Study. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression estimated the association between everyday discrimination (measured on a continuous scale) and incident CVD. Supplemental analyses examined the association between everyday discrimination and incident CVD among those who experienced racial versus non-racial discrimination. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and CVD risk factors. At baseline, participants (N=988) were 65 years old on average and 57.3% were female. During the 12-year period, 16.3% of participants developed CVD. Each increase in everyday discrimination was associated with a higher incidence of CVD in fully adjusted models (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03-1.59). Older Black adults who experience frequent everyday discrimination may be at higher risk of developing CVD. Clinical and non-clinical interventions assessing and addressing experiences of discrimination may help in CVD prevention efforts among Black adults.