Top Things to Know: State of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in Hispanic/Latino Adults in the United States
Updated: September 15, 2026
Prepared by Sally S. Wong, PhD, RD, CDN, FAHA, National Sr. Director, Science & Medicine
- Hispanic individuals are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States, comprising approximately 19% of the population and continuing to grow rapidly. This population is heterogeneous, with substantial variation in genetic ancestry, language, cultural practices, and social conditions, along with increasing admixture across racial and ethnic groups.
- Cardiometabolic risk factors are highly prevalent among Hispanic adults and tend to emerge at younger ages compared with non-Hispanic White populations.
- Hispanic populations bear a disproportionate burden of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), driven by a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors and persistent social and structural inequities.
- Although this scientific statement focuses on adults, cardiometabolic risk factors are increasingly prevalent among Hispanic children and adolescents, with implications for lifelong cardiovascular risk. Hispanic youth have higher obesity prevalence than non-Hispanic White youth (25.8% vs 16.1%), with disparities emerging as early as preschool age.
- Approximately 46% of Hispanic adults have obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²). Prevalence is higher among U.S.-born individuals, those with longer U.S. residency, and women, with the highest rates observed in Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage groups.
- Hispanic adults have a disproportionately high prevalence of type 2 diabetes (15.5%), nearly double that of non-Hispanic White adults, and cases are more likely to be undiagnosed. Social, environmental, and acculturation-related factors contribute to disparities in diabetes risk and management.
- Effective cardiovascular prevention and clinical management in Hispanic adults require nuanced approaches that account for heterogeneity in heritage, nativity, language, social determinants of health, and healthcare access.
- Culturally tailored, community-based interventions are essential. These approaches are cost-effective, scalable, and effective in trusted community settings such as churches, markets, community centers, and Spanish-language media platforms.
- Key priorities for advancing cardiovascular health in Hispanic adults include expanding disaggregated data collection, increasing representation in research, and ensuring equitable implementation of precision medicine approaches, such as genomics, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence, while addressing environmental exposures and psychosocial stressors to achieve the American Heart Association’s 2028 Impact Goals.
- This scientific statement summarizes current CVD epidemiology in Hispanic populations, emphasizing variation across heritage groups, the role of social and structural determinants of health, and strategies to improve prevention and healthcare delivery.
Citation
Contreras J, Aguilar D, Bravo-Jaimes K, Cortes Y, Cruz-Flores S, Kizer JR, Piña I, Bonilla H, Rodriguez CJ, Rodriguez F, Velarde G; on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease; and Stroke Council. State of cardiovascular disease and stroke in Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Published online September 15, 2026. Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001463