Objective

To quantify the impact of cardiovascular disease and its subtypes on the premature mortality of Hispanics in the United States.

Methods

We used national death records to identify deaths for the three largest Hispanic subgroups (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans) in the United States from 2003 to 2012 (N= 832,550). We identified all deaths from cardiovascular disease and by subtype (ie, ischemic, cerebrovascular, hypertensive and heart failure) using the underlying cause of death via ICD-10 codes. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) was calculated by age categories standardizing with the 2000 US Census population. Population estimates were calculated using linear interpolation from 2000 and 2010 US Census data.

Results

After standardization, Puerto Ricans experienced the highest YPLL for all types of cardiovascular disease compared with Mexicans and Cubans (1,139 years per 100,000 compared with 868 and 841, respectively), a disparity that remained consistent over the course of a decade. Among different subcategories of cardiovascular disease, Puerto Ricans had the highest YPLL for ischemic and hypertensive heart disease, while Mexicans had the highest YPLL from cerebrovascular disease.

Conclusions

In conclusion, disaggregation of Hispanic subgroups revealed marked heterogeneity in premature cardiovascular mortality. These findings suggest that measures to improve the cardiovascular health of Hispanics should incorporate subgroup status as a key part of public health strategy.